Vashe Imya
by derevosky
Summary: Ivan is living in a cold district called Kolsky in Murmansk Oblast, while Alfred is living in New York, a city that never sleeps. They were dreaming about each other's lives, and eventually they discovered that it was more than that.
1. They're reminiscing out of nothing

The gray sky along with its rain

accompanied the interlocking thrums of the trains.

The clacking footsteps of every person in the station

drowned the noise of droplets from the rainclouds.

Every passerby has their own story to tell,

problems to discuss,

and a life to live.

The world felt complete with its rhythmic

and steady imperfections.

The world kept on going

and yet

Two thoughts echoed through nothing:

"A feeling that somehow,

despite everything I've achieved,

despite everyone I've met

I am not living my life to the fullest."

The faint insights staggering.

"I don't really mind losing something at all.

It's part of life.

Nothing is permanent.

But why do I long

for something that I cannot even fathom?"


	2. Alfred is dreaming, isn't he?

Among the humble abodes of a Russian town, the faint morning rays graced their snow-blanketed roofs. Somewhere, a loud ringing of an alarm clock echoed the unusually cold room. Blinking, Alfred stared clearly (to his surprise) at the unfamiliar ceiling. He rubbed his eyes, noting that he wasn't wearing his glasses yet his vision was better than before. He noticed his hands were paler, rather larger. He observed the room he was in, and sat swiftly. Under the comforter, he felt that his boner was… bigger.

"Huh?" a different voice came out from his mouth but didn't bother to mind that fact.

He poked his apparently bigger cock, closed his eyes, and decided to caress it slowly, as if he was calculating, and eventually enjoying the moment. When it wasn't enough, he hasten his pace, and stroke it roughly. He almost moaned loudly while somebody abruptly slammed the door open and-

"Brat, vremya prosypat'sy- KAKOGO CHERTA?!"

It was slammed closed.

"Poprobuyte zaperet' dver' v sleduyushchiy raz, chert poberi!" A girl's voice screeched.

' _Okay, what kind of what?_ ' Alfred was confused, then eventually snapped out of his trance. He just realized a foreign girl just entered his room while doing his… business. ' _Wait, where am I? How did I end up in someone's house? I don't remember banging someone because I totally didn't drink yesterday_. _Ugh,_ _Dad would be pissed again._ ' He contemplated while walking towards the bathroom, realizing he didn't know where it is. He opened at least two doors to find out, and when he managed to find the bathroom, he was about to take a piss when he noticed who was in the small mirror. He stared, trying to decipher his reflection. He thought he still had blue eyes but they were purple when he looked closely. His nose almost took his attention fully because of its size, his hair was bleached but noted that did not seem to be the case. The man stood in front of him was taller, big-boned, he assumed.

"Woah." his thought slipped out of his mouth

"Wow, okay. So this is me? Who am I? Am I still me? What is this?" He rambled while secretly enjoying his new voice.

He touched his face, and it was soft. He played with his face, pinched it, and he played with his hair. ' _Lmao, I'm so fluffy.'_ he joked then he remembered he was going to pee.

After the events in the bathroom, he checked the phone by the night-stand, assuming it's his. ' _Okay, this is probably a dream wherein you get to be a different person. I think Kiku mentioned something like that._ ' He continued checking the phone, thanking that it didn't need a passcode. He read, or tried to decipher the phone. ' _What the fuck_.' He guessed where the phone settings were, and changed the language to American English. When he can now read his phone, he sighed contentedly. ' _This dream isn't fun. It's like it's in hard mode. Welp, might as well do shit._ ' He glanced at the prepared uniform with Cyrillic writing in its badge, and on the I.D. by the coat-hanger near the dresser. ' _Ugh, where is this school? Oh, wait!_ ' He used his phone to use Google translate, and used the previous keyboard to type the words. 'К-о-л-ь-с-к-и-й-…' he read what was under it and bam, Kolsky Academy. Curious, he typed the name from the I.D.

"Ivan Braginsky. Cool name, my dream. It's nice that my mind is really creative. Oh, nice touch on the details, too." He mused, still appreciating his different voice.

He wore the uniform, and noticed his neck. It had different hues of scars. He didn't know what to do, or how to hide them, so he let it be. He prepared his things, just a notebook, and a pen, in his bag. He looked at the mirror one more time, trying to look impressive, and went downstairs. 'Wow this house is cozy, me likey.' He went to the kitchen, not minding the other people in the room to act natural, and grabbed some weird looking dumplings. He took a bite and realized it's _some kind of cheese?_ He didn't mind too much, and ate it whole. Grabbing another one, he watched the news in a bulky television.

"Kometa Tiamat budet vidna cherez tri mesyatsa … Soglasno astronomam, kometa budet odnim iz samykh bol'shikh, kto vstretit zemlyu" The woman reported about a comet that's supposed to be visible on Earth. ' _Neat. I should check that out_.' Alfred took his syrniki in one gulp.

"Vy dolzhny zamedlit', Vanya. Po krayney mere zhevat' yego." The ash blonde woman muttered more of her language, and Alfred felt guilty because of the tone she used. ' _Did I do something wrong? Gosh, why is this dream trying to guilt trip me. I am enjoying here, c'mon._ ' He tried to excuse himself out the kitchen, earning a confused glance from the blonde, and the girl earlier.

"Chto sluchilos' s nim?" She sighed, and continued eating along with her little sister.

"Ya ne znayu. On tozhe menya izvratil, sestra." The girl answered while flustered.

On his way to the campus, thanks to his phone's navigation, he looked at the sights, while playfully walked through the snow. He appreciated every detail the scenery had offered, from the silhouettes of the dead trees, to the mountains almost faded from the horizon, looking like it painted the pale sky. ' _So I'm in Russia, huh? Did I watch Anastasia a night ago? This is really a detailed dream. It's kinda realistic._ ' He checked his phone again, and tried to read or guess his screenshot of a schedule. (' _Why would you do that?'_ he ranted.) When he finally saw his destination, he searched for his classroom. As he found it, he self-five in his mind, congratulating himself for doing such a wonderful job thanks to his detective skills. ' _I could be Sherlock Holmes. Ha, watch out, Dad_.' he mused with a smug. He went to an empty seat near the window, noticing there were people staring at him but he didn't mind. He opened his bag, and took a notebook, flipped through its pages. He sketched his previous sightings of the Russian sceneries, and wrote 'Who are you?' absent-mindedly while waiting for the teacher.

When an old woman arrived, they started standing to greet her then sat down. Of course, Alfred barely followed what they were doing. As the class started, he continued his drawings while the teacher kept on speaking, enumerating something he didn't understand, and the students were answering the same thing.

"Braginsky? Braginsky zdes'?" the teacher announced.

"Vanya, Korsakovna zovet vas." Someone whispered behind him.

Some students were staring at him, and this made him frantic.

"Uhh, Sdis!" He shouted what he heard from the students. The teacher was unamused while his classmates were snickering.

"Chto s etim aktsentom, Van'yushka?"

"Chert voz'mi, tovarishch."

"Nu, nu, posmotri na Braginskogo. Govoryashchiy po-angliyski I vse. On – dragotsennyy syn mera v kontse kontsov." Someone whispered rather loudly, mocking while some sighed in exasperation.

' _I have no idea what he said but I guess he's insulting me. Nice try, big guy. But I don't even know what you're saying._ ' Alfred decided to continue what he was doing, brushing off the incident. He glanced at the blackboard, and fortunately he could understand it. It was a math class, afterall.

As he let the day pass by, the classes ended. ' _Thank god there was English class. I thought my throat would dry out in there._ ' He mused. He continued walking for sight-seeing until the sun went down. He noticed his phone, not anticipating any text because there won't be, he assumed. ' _Huh, this guy seems to have no friends. I guess it's a good thing I don't have to hang out with some people I can't understand._ ' He pondered. He didn't mind all the stares he'd received, and just smiled at them instead. He was really feeling optimistic to have such dream like he just flew to another country. He felt a little adventurous.

When he got home, he greeted (he assumed) his sisters with crude Russian earning snorts from both. They ate dinner, and he let the sisters chat while he minded his food. When they were done, he cleaned the kitchen, and headed upstairs to his room.

Using his phone, he browsed some Russian memes so he could try to learn a bit of the language through a rather slow internet connection. He was adapting quite quickly, as if his eyes were all absorbing this naturally. He tried reading a novel from his bookshelf. Even though he's not used to the alphabet, somehow he knew their Roman counterparts. As he kept reading, there were concepts forming in his head out of nowhere. He still don't fully understand what the book was saying, but he had hints with these images floating in his mind. After a few minutes, he didn't notice he was drifting to sleep.


	3. Ivan was apparently possessed

_(The following dialogue would be hypothetically Russian.)_

In a usual cold morning, Ivan was bundled in heaps of blankets, along with his scarf. He was never a fan of the weather, and decided to sleep more. The sound of the alarm from his phone annoyed him. He snoozed it knowing that his sister would wake him up instead. He saw the wall clock saying it was 9:46AM. 'Oh shit.' He sprinted to the bathroom, and hurriedly prepared for school. He went downstairs to greet his sisters, and his babushka who just arrived, skipped breakfast and took his packed lunch instead, earning a pout from his sister, Katyusha.

In the classroom, he tiptoed so his teacher would not notice his tardiness, but failed.

"I appreciated your rather silent demeanor, Braginsky. But, you may take a seat and accept your imperfect attendance." the old woman deadpanned.

He sat and sighed quietly. He took his notebook from his bag, and skimmed through pages to find a blank page, but instead he noticed an unfamiliar series of sketches, and a different handwriting that says 'Who are you?' He stared, confused. He flipped again, not wanting to be distracted, he tried to cope up with the new lesson in class.

When it was a lunch break, Ivan greeted his friends, Toris and Eduard, who were sitting at their usual spot, under a concrete umbrella table, conversing. The two were surprised.

"Oh, you have your scarf now." Toris pointed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ivan asked.

"Wait, you don't remember?" Toris replied with another question.

"Well, yesterday, you were kind of, possessed." Eduard filled in the two in a conniving tone.

"Don't tell me you believe that, Eduard. Although, it can be possible. Ivan, you were out of your mind. And you didn't wear your scarf. Aren't you aware that your scars are taking people's attention? Good thing your father haven't heard about it." Toris rambled.

"Uhh, I, really? How come? I think it's a misunderstanding."

"How is it a misunderstanding?"

"Well, I don't know. I can't explain."

"Did you drink yesterday? Well, you can't be that drunk though."

"To be honest, I can't remember a thing. All I know is that I had a really long dream yesterday, and unfortunately, I forgot what it was all about."

"To fill you in, you pretty much ignored people, including us!" Eduard voiced in.

"Intimidated, actually. I heard them talking about you in English class, and in P.E. Apparently, your English skills are superb, as if you're already an American. Didn't ever think you could pull off the accent." Toris continued.

"Yeah, I witnessed the scene. You basically kicked Igor's ass in basketball. You were amazing! Well, and you were smiling like a creep. I didn't know you were into sports?" Eduard added.

"W-what? Uhm, no, I'm not, I'm not even good at any sport. You guys know that." Ivan retorted.

"I guess it's a hidden talent. Unless, your self-esteem is talking." Eduard joked.

"I heard you were shouting 'bitch' all the time. With the accent." Toris said as if he can't believe what he was saying either.

"Pfft, yeah." Feliks butted in, and placed an arm around Toris's shoulder, and took a bite of pirozhki. "It's like that's the only word he knows. You were totally possessed, my friend." He said a-matter-of-factly. "You almost ignored Ms. Rimsky. Good thing, I was like, there to save your ungrateful butt because Viktor decided that it was fun to make your embarrassing scenario even more embarrassing using his wit towards your aristocracy."

While his friends continued on the subject with interjections of how-you've-beens from Raivis, he sat there dumbfounded, not able to continue eating his lunch prepared by his sister. He didn't know how to process on what he had heard, and packed his lunch while waiting for his friends to finish theirs. When the subject changed, he gradually joined their conversation.

"I can't believe my mother still thinks I hacked Zima Braginsky's website, and she almost reported me. Why would I if it's just a giant political campaign ad that ended up in the internet? Who would even bother visit that page? We already know he's going to win the elections, again." Eduard huffed.

"Your mother doesn't get tired, like, kissing the mayor's ass, huh?" Feliks joked.

"Stop staying that, Ivan's here." Toris warned nervously.

"It's okay. You already know my father's an ass." Ivan joked as well. Feliks gave him a high-five.

"And besides, I have my own website and it's waaay cooler than your dad's." Eduard added.

"Yeah, you should check it out again by the way." Ivan smiled, sticking out a little of his tongue.

Eduard was confused but decided to think about what Ivan said later.

"Hey, guys. You heard about Yekaterina Velikaya's crush? You all should guess." Raivis joined in their conversation.

"Okay, little guy. We're kinda lost. And how did you know about her crush, anyway?" Toris asked, entertaining the lower year student.

"I have my sources." Raivis smugged.

"What sources? You don't even have friends, like, besides us." Feliks pointed out, trying to hide his laughter.

"Hey, I do! You just don't know them yet." Raivis retorted.

"Don't tell me you, like, consider Pyotr your friend." Feliks said.

"Well, he is. Anyway, c'mon. Just guess! And you won't really expect who he is." Raivis insisted.

"Uhh, Igor?"

Raivis shook his head.

"Is it Nikolai?"

He again shook his head, giggling.

"C'mon, just, spill it already." Feliks said impatiently, not really having the time for this bullshit.

"It's our horrible friend here," he patted Ivan's shoulder earning a glare from him so he retreated his hand. "Ivan!"

"I don't believe it. How?" Eduard said rather in high pitch. Feliks, of course, reacted to this. Ivan, again, bothered by the nonchalant insults he'd been receiving.

"Hey, I'm nice, you know." Ivan defended himself, annoyed by his friends.

"But you're not really attractive to be someone's crush." Raivis pointed out, earning another glare from him.

"Yeah, you look boring as heck." Feliks stated. Ivan felt defeated.

"Guys, give him a break. Maybe, somehow, because he apparently won in yesterday's game in P.E., he earned Yekaterina's affection."

"Point taken." Eduard was, he guessed, convinced. The others just shrugged.

"Anyway, what's the homework for geology again?" Eduard continued.

"I think it's bring your own rock or something." Feliks answered articulately.

"Okay, since you guys are talking about rocks, I'm going to my class. See you later!" Raivis left, and they waved goodbye at him.

"Hmm, I guess this is our queue to leave as well. Ivan, are you okay now?" Eduard asked with concern.

"Yes, I will be fine. You should go to your classes and I'll be going to mine." Ivan convinced them.

"So I guess see you later at P.E. then?" Feliks greeted as he waited for Toris.

"Yes, yes."

"Okay, see you next class, Ivan. Don't worry too much. At least you're okay now, right?" Toris patted Ivan's shoulder to comfort him. Ivan nodded and head to his classroom.

He roamed the classroom halls, and noticed how people were avoiding him. _'…Oh kay_?' he was usually greeted with mockery and sarcasm, which he got used to it before, but now, people seemed to be intimidated by him. Some were looking at him with awe, and some were blushing.

' _What exactly happened yesterday?_ '

He headed for art class. Once he entered the room, he noticed his classmates looked at him from their art desks, and became quiet. He sat as his usual spot, and placed his stuff by the side of the desk. He noticed his seatmate, Yekaterina Velikaya, was staring him.

"May I help you?" He whispered although it was heard through the silent classroom, but he was snobbed; the girl hid her face.

His other seatmate, Anya, nudged him. "Yesterday, you were really cool so she has a crush on you now."

"Excuse me?" Ivan, still whispering, was bewildered.

"You should ask her out." Anya mischievously grinned.

"I don't take suggestions from strangers, especially about my love life."

"I'm no stranger. You're my seatmate."

"And it will stay that way."

Anya huffed, annoyed by her seatmate. Ivan felt the same. The class kept quiet when Mr. Levitan arrived. He began discussing about strokes, guidelines, perspectives, backgrounds, and landscapes. He, then, instructed the class to draw what they had just discussed. Ivan started to sketch skyscrapers, and below the buildings were rows of flower shops. He hastily doodled the clouds by swirling his pencil. He noticed his teacher was watching him draw.

"Braginsky, seems you're quiet versatile with your style." He commented and moved to another student.

Ivan didn't think much of the comment and continued what he was sketching. When the class was almost done, Mr. Levitan announced that they should keep their sketches, and they would continue finishing their own details tomorrow. He began packing his things, ignoring Yekaterina's stare, and headed outside the art room. He paced through the halls to go to his homeroom for literature class. He greeted Toris while they waited for Mr. Dostoevsky.

"Apparently, Raivis was telling the truth." Ivan started.

"Wait? Really? Nice one! You should ask her out."

"Ugh, you know I have no time to be in a relationship."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Are you telling me you're gonna let this pass? This is Yekaterina Velikaya we're talking about."

"She could be the empress for all I care. Still, I'm not interested."

"You really need a love life for that cold heart of yours."

"I do not have a cold heart."

"Eh, still not convinced."

"Why am I not surprised." Ivan deadpanned.

"You should stop focusing on your family's tradition thing and give yourself a break."

"I'm not a fan of using people."

"Are you saying you're using us?"

"I'm not-"

Mr. Dostoevsky entered briskly by slamming the door while bringing four or five thick books and dropped them on the desk with a loud thud. The class turned their attention to their teacher. The teacher glanced at them, and wrote something on his attendance sheet. He, then, discussed philosophical things that some were clearly confused while others just paid attention.

"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken." He deliberated.

Ivan pondered at what he said, an unfamiliar memory formed in his head. It was gone in an instant.

After that, he wrote questions on the board, and he instructed the class to answer it on a sheet of paper. After a few minutes, he called out students one by one for recitation.

"The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison. What does this mean, exactly? Braginsky?" He called out Ivan to recite.

"Ignorance is bliss?"

"Ah yes, that brevity. Well, not exactly, but you're not far from correct. It's more of societal norm. Empathy is rather influential that it build social constructs. Ironic, isn't it? It means that despite escaping, you would be doubting yourself, asking why you need to escape. The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Anyway, you may seat down, Braginsky."

"I can see the sun, but even if I cannot see the sun, I know that it exists. And to know that the sun is there - that is living. How do you understand this, Dovlatov?"

"Life goes on." Sergei answered straight.

"This class does know how to be brief and wholesome at the same time, no?" The teacher mused.

"There is this occurrence wherein the day will meet the night, and different worlds will meet. Quite poetic, isn't it? It was believed that it was a combination of twilight and dusk, and some artists painted it rather nicely. Although, it was alleged to be mostly impressionism and expressionism. Despite that, it would be nice to witness such creation of God."

After a few students reciting, the class was dismissed. Mr. Brodsky entered the room and wrote on the board some English words and its Russian translations. The class wrote what he wrote to their notebooks. He, then, recited each of the words. He erased the previous words, and replaced it with a poem containing almost all of the same words he previously used. He called out students to recite each verse. Then, he called Ivan to recite the next.

"Braginsky, read the next verse." The teacher said in English.

Fortunately, Ivan understood and complied.

"I wish you were here, dear, / I wish you were here. I wish I knew no astronomy / when stars appear, / when the moon skims the water / that sighs and shifts in its slumber. / I wish it were still a quarter / to dial your number." He said, although his accent was thick.

"Very well. Although, I prefer how you read yesterday. It's still a nice try." The teacher said smoothly, still in English.

"Sp- Thank you, sir." Ivan sat down.

As the students were finished their turn in speaking the language, Mr. Brodsky decided that the class dismissed and instructed them to practice while they pack their things.

Ivan hurried to the boy's room to change his uniform for P.E. When he was done, he saw Feliks, greeted, and walked with him to the gymnasium. The gym was full, maybe because it was a Friday, Ivan assumed. The students saw him and rooted for him. He was bashful, he covered his face with scarf, while Feliks laughed rather obnoxiously.

"Get your head in the game!" Feliks encouraged.

"I'm not used to this many people."

"Don't be a wimp! Do your best, like, okay? I'll be here."

Ivan huffed at those keywords to calm him, cursing his friend for being a friend, and decided to face what was going to happen. Igor was glaring at him. When the game started, he was distracted by doubting himself, losing the basketball to the rival team member, running to the other side while he passed it to Igor, and he succeeded in shooting the ball. The court was filled with cheers and boos, and Feliks was spouting nonsense while still running. Their team managed to steal the ball and they passed it to Ivan, and he was shocked that the ball slipped. The ball was unfortunately in their rival's hand, and passed it again to Igor. They earned another point as the cheers and boos grew louder. Feliks was facepalming while Ivan continued to feel dumb. As the game went on, they were still losing, so they changed their preferred shooter. Ivan felt horrible, at the same time, insulted. In the second quarter of the game, he felt redeeming himself. As a surge of adrenaline, and instinct? …his body moved as if he moved like that before. A familiar feeling possessed him, he ran rather gracefully, dodging his rivals, and jumped in the middle of the court. They earned three points. The gymnasium was filled with squeals, and Yekaterina was one of them. Ivan noticed and blushed, covering his face, again with his scarf. When the game was still going on, they were winning until the fourth quarter. He maintained his graceful steps while dribbling, and that made them one the game. As he snapped out of it, he felt confused while his heart was beating fast. ' _I can't believe we won because of me_.'

"See! I told you you were going to be great!" Feliks high-fived earning a wide smile from Ivan.

"Stop smiling that, it's creepy, man." He commented while Ivan pouted.

"We should get home now."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's look for the others. Hey, there's Toris!"

"Ivan! Feliks! Congrats on the win!" Toris greeted waving both arms. Raivis was behind him.

"Yeah, Ivan! Besides the first quarter, you look cool!" Raivis exclaimed.

"According to my calculations, Yekaterina was definitely squealing because of you." Eduard said while fixing his glasses.

"Hate to say this, but my family is expecting for to go home early. We're having a mini-family reunion." Raivis explained then went ahead.

"See you, Raivis! Be at Ivan's ceremony, will you?!" Toris shouted earning a shaky thumbs-up from Raivis.

"You don't have to remind me." Ivan scowled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toris said while copying Raivis's gesture.

"It means he's not sure. Well, I'm with him. As much as I want to witness Ivan suffer, I'd be hanging out with my cousins this weekend. We're going to a cosplay event here in town." Feliks said.

"You didn't tell me you're going to an event. And cosplay. Since when are you close with your cousins?" Toris asked.

"Well, I will be if we meet at the event. They're like, from St. Petersburg."

"Ahh, jealous." Ivan whined.

"Too bad they're gonna visit this dead-end of a town." Eduard added.

"Don't remind me." Ivan said.

"Cheer up, guys. And Ivan, Feliks, you just won a game earlier. We should celebrate!" Toris suggested.

"So, wanna go, to like, a café?" Feliks proposed.

"There's a café here?!" Toris and Ivan didn't hide their excitement.

"I'll pass. My mom needs me at home." Eduard sighed.

"Oh, okay. Talk to you later, then?" Ivan said.

"Sure. Just text me first."

"Okay." He waved goodbye along with Toris and Felix.

"Well then, café?" Ivan stated.

"Yeah, let's go there." Feliks grinned while the two exchanged looks, grinned as well.

They were walking along the concrete sidewalk walk stained in snow, passing by the series of small houses. Then, they noticed they were walking along a snowy grass patches. Continuing, they were on a stony passage, and gradually on another concrete road. They kept on walking, the two were still anticipating while Feliks was leading the way. They spotted a vending machine with a bench nearby.

"Here we are!" Feliks announced earning disbelieving looks from the two.

"This is not a café." Toris pointed out while Ivan simply smiled at Feliks with a gloomy aura as if his stance were saying 'Are you kidding me?'. Feliks was not bothered by the slightest.

"You guys already know there's no café in this town."

"Ugh, this sucks." Toris muttered while Ivan tried to face the reality and simply sighed.

All of them bought caffeinated drinks from the vending machine. They noticed the wind getting colder. Good thing their beverages were warm. Ivan, Toris, and Feliks, in that order, seated at the bench.

"As I was saying earlier, Ivan, you should loosen up."

"Please enlighten me exactly where we left off."

"I mean, your lack of love life. Yekaterina Velikaya. The Yekaterina Velikaya. Is all over you."

"Are you serious?!" Feliks coughed some of his coffee.

"Didn't you hear her screaming Ivan's name in the game?"

"I was perhaps, busy, you know, like, saving his butt."

"Anyway, enough of that. What I'm trying to say is, Ivan should stop moping about the ceremony this weekend."

"I can't stop moping about it because-"

"Yeah, we know, it's embarrassing. Humiliating. End of the line."

"Thank you for interrupting my dismay."

"You know, it's not the end of the world. Think of it as diving in cold water, then, getting used to it."

"The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison. I don't want to be a prisoner, Toris."

"Don't use Mr. Dostoevsky's words on me. That's unfair."

"Well, life is unfair. So is mine. Very much."

"You know, Toris, Ivan has a point. Like, the thing he was about to do is really disgusting. And he had to wear hideous clothes."

"You're not helping, Feliks."

"Well, this conversation doesn't either as long as Ivan would think more of it. You know he's an overthinker."

"You're reaaaally not helping, Feliks."

"I'm still here."

"Yes, you're still pouting like a baby."

"Feliks, stop that."

"Fine, fine. But we should record his ceremony so we could laugh at it afterwards."

Toris rolled his eyes, shrugged in defeat.

"Ivan, I'm just trying to, like, cheer you up, okay?"

"Yes, I'm aware of what you're doing. But, I'm sorry. It doesn't magically erase my worries."

"It's fine, like, it's normal. But I'm not really encouraging you to think about it. Just let it happen."

"I'm happy for your support, guys."

"And I'm happy you're okay. Like, really okay."

"So, my suggestion. Yekaterina. Ivan. What's your plan?" Toris said.

"I'm still not taking your advice, Toris. Besides, you seemed to be more interested in her than me. My little sister would be happy, then."

"Hey! I'm still loyal, you know, like you with your single life."

"Which still boggles me because my sister can be a headache. And thank you, I will stay loyal to it."

"Yeah, I don't even know what you see in her, Toris." Feliks added.

"C'mon, she's really cute especially when she gets angry."

Ivan shivered not only because of what Toris said, but also the wind was getting colder.

"I think we should all head home." Ivan suggested.

"Yeah, let's call it a day."

"Like, I think my nose is frozen so as my coffee."

The trio went back to the main road, and diverged their paths heading to their homes.

.

"I'm home." Ivan announced, and was greeted by his grandmother who was by the living room with his sisters.

"Oh, little one, you're just in time. Help us with these." His grandmother said while focused working on the tapestry.

It was their family's tradition to maintain the cultural history of the Romanovs as they were distantly related to the dynasty. Making tapestries, sewing traditional Imperial clothing, and creating scarves out of Orenburg yarn were some of their usual tradition. Currently, they were finishing a tapestry they had been working on for over a month, and Babushka was about to discuss the importance of what they were doing, Ivan guessed.

"Nitka, Odezhda, Rez'ba, Shag, these words, they can mean the same while differ vastly, Natalya." Babushka said.

"All of those words mean this, right?" Natalya gestured to the thread she was holding.

"Yes, and no. See, all these threads are different even though they look the same. And if you weave them together, it creates harmony, just like our language. The words of our language has its own spirituality, like the thread, it weaves and creates new words and meanings."

Natalya felt enlightened while Katyusha smiled at her grandmother's wisdom that she already heard before. Ivan, on the other hand, was silently nodding.

"What is Nitka to you, ptashka?" Babushka asked Natalya.

"It's… still thread, Babushka."

"You could think more of other words, samyy dorogoy."

"It can be a strand, or grain. As if the soul was small in significance." Ivan answered for his sister.

"Yes, little one. That's it. How about Rez'ba?"

"It's about imagery. How it creates patterns when weaved with others, like life having colors because of the light. When it is unweaved, it displays nothing." He said nonchalantly.

Natalya was feeling proud for her brother, amazed at their conversation.

"Yes, yes, little one. Now, Natasha, what do you think of Odezhda?"

"Is it the moment of being complete?"

"Yes, that's a good start, ptashka."

The evening was long as they were finishing the tapestry. When it was done, it formed the image of Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov. Babushka smiled as they looked at their work along the others they had done before. She graced his son's shoulder and squeezed a little as a form of thank you, and proceeded to ruffle a little bit of her little granddaughter's hair. She did the same to her eldest granddaughter. She head upstairs to her bedroom. Still in the living room, Katyusha heard her brother's stomach.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry, there are still leftovers. I will heat them for you, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, sestra."

.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Ivan dreaded this day. He decided to laugh at memes last night until early morning that's why he woke up late. Apparently, his little sister didn't wake him up like she used to. He asked her why but insisted not to answer. He shrugged, at least he had a decent sleep, but he knew his body clock would be disoriented. He went downstairs and checked that the house was empty. There was a note left on their refrigerator: 'We're at the dwelling to set up the ceremony. Be prepared and be there on time. –Katyusha'. He grumbled and prepared his "breakfast" by heating up a leftover pirozhki. He took a bite while listening to the news. It was about a giant meteor that was going to appear next three months, he felt excited. He often went stargazing before; but because of the current weather wherein the clouds always get in the way so the night skies were always starless, he didn't have the chance to do so.

When he was finished eating, he cleaned a little bit of the kitchen. He went upstairs and retrieved his phone to call Eduard. After three rings, he answered.

"I told you to text me first."

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay. Are you free at this moment?"

"Yes, that's why I called."

"Meet me at the town plaza. Our usual spot. Toris will be there, too."

"Got it."

Before Ivan was about to hang up, Eduard was about to say something.

"Hey! Why is your childhood photo all over my blog?! I swear to God, Bragins-"

As soon as he ended the call, Ivan giggled and went to the bathroom to wash his face, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair with his fingers quickly. After looking for a decent pair of gray pants, he wore it along with a maroon sweater, and of course, his scarf to hide his neck. He looked at the mirror and decided he looked nice. He paced downstairs, grabbed his coat and ushanka, and rushed outside.

.

When he was finding their usual spot which was by the old bakery, he did not expect the plaza to be crowded. He tugged his scarf, and as if diving, he inhaled, and exhaled as he went through the crowd. He successfully got through and found Eduard and Toris talking to each other. He greeted them, and they greeted back.

"So how are you?" Eduard consulted.

"I believe the saying is 'calm before the storm'. I feel like I'll be timebomb." Ivan expressed his nervousness.

"Don't say that. Besides, I think there would be just few people who are gonna watch you." Toris comforted.

"Yeah, I think your family tradition isn't as famous as before." Eduard said.

"Thank you, guys. I really appreciate your kindness." He hugged the two into a bear hug, while they were running out of breath.

"Okay, you can let go now, big guy." Toris catched his breath when Ivan let go of them, giggling. Eduard almost fainted but thankfully he was still conscious.

"We're here for you, okay?" Toris said when he started to breathe better.

"Oh, uh. Sorry, I can't be there. My mom's expecting me to help with the politicians." Eduard sighed.

"I'll be there. Don't worry. I won't bring Feliks if that would cheer you up." Toris joked.

"It is okay, Eduard. I hope you'd do well enduring your mom kissing my dad's ass and his friends'." Ivan remarked.

"Yeah, I'm used to it." Eduard humored and huffed.

"Anyway, instead having a heart-to-heart talk here, let's hang out somewhere else and let our minds wander a bit before the storm." Toris said.

"So, a spa?" Ivan inquired.

"The only spa here is always fully occupied." Eduard said.

"I wish we could go the Japan and try out their hot springs." Ivan whined.

"Come on, it's just a big fancy bathtub." Eduard responded.

"I'm convinced that the spa idea is out. Where should we go?" Toris cut their little debate.

"Ugh, let's just play at the arcade." Ivan suggested.

"And play Tetris again?" Eduard complained.

"Because obviously this town has a lot to offer." Ivan deadpanned.

While circling around the plaza, the trio ran out of ideas when they were trying to enumerate where to spend their free time.

"You know what, let's hang out at my place and laugh at memes. Babushka and my sisters aren't there." Ivan proposed.

"Okay." The two said in unison.

"Too bad Natalya isn't there." Toris muttered.

"And watch you laugh at memes? You're hopeless, Toris." Eduard said.

"Besides, it will give you a bigger chance of being dumped." Ivan added.

"Cut it out, guys." Toris felt defeated.

When they went to Ivan's house, they spent their afternoon sprawled on his bed, conversing at different topics, from memes to funny memories.

When Ivan noticed the time, he informed his friends that he needed to be prepared. He changed into his white and red detailed kosovorotka along with his red and gold kaftan. He, then, wore his scarf.

"Hey, it looks good on you!" Eduard praised his friend.

"Are you trying to piss me or" Ivan deadpanned.

"No, really. You looked more handsome."

"If only I don't know what I'm about to do, I'd appreciate your compliment."

"Well, appreciate it now while you can."

"So, I guess let's go there now."

.

It was a short walk to the dwelling. Ivan helped his family in finalizing the preparations for the ceremony, he lit every candle of the place. The rye bread was set on a fancy plate, and there were three cups each filled a bit of alcohol by the side. Once everyone had gathered around the place, they proceeded with the ritual. Their grandmother stood up, and straighten her posture.

"We are here to commemorate the family that helped the Russian lands prosper, and its people enriched with culture and history. Our new generation is humbly presenting ourselves by offering a part of ourselves to maintain this generation's relationship to its roots. We are gathered here to witness the lost souls be replenished by new ones." When Babushka finished her speech, Ivan and his sisters stepped forward in front of the prepared table.

Each of them took the bread and had their piece. They chewed it while holding their stained-glass cups. When the bread melted inside their mouths, they spit it out slowly in their cups.

While continuing doing the ritual, Ivan noticed the presence of his classmates.

"Hey, look, it's Ivan Braginsky."

"Oh my god, isn't he embarrassed?"

"No wonder why his father left his family."

"Their family is a bunch of lunatics, I tell ya."

"Too bad, his sister is pretty hot."

They were whispering yet Ivan heard enough. He glared even though his eyes were covered by his kaftan thanks to his hands hovered by his mouth spitting on the cup. He tried to relax to focus on what he was doing. He cleared a bit of his mind until the ritual was done.

Several prayers later, the ceremony was done. Ivan felt tired emotionally and mentally. Good thing he still have the strength to wander with his sisters before they go home. They were walking by the snowy meadows near the dwelling.

"That wasn't really bad, you know. It's really cool to pass down tradition with your spit." Natalya said as-matter-of-factly.

"The more you say it, the more it makes me regret things." Ivan closed his eyes and pinched his nose.

"C'mon, bratishka, Imagine selling our Kvass in Moscow, and we'd be rich! You'd be the company's model, and I guarantee we'll be." His sister said, as if like an entrepreneur.

"Why are you even thinking about these things?" He said, not really buying his sister's suggestions.

They bickered while their older sister was laughing at their conversation.

"Gosh, c'mon, bratishka. Cheer up." Natalya whined at his brother's whining.

"Yeah, don't worry too much. Besides, it's to honor the lost family of-" Katyusha comforted but was interrupted.

"Romanovs, yes, sure, but they're dead. We should move on. Besides, I think we're the only family who does that, and our family is currently lacking a member. I don't really mind making tapestries but Sestra-" Ivan countered, and ranted.

"Vanya, how could you say that?" His sister hesitated to speak.

Ivan exhaled a heavy sigh. He ran towards the open field.

"Please, God, or whoever. Please make me a handsome New Yorker in the next lifetime!" He shouted, the words were echoing through the starless night.


	4. Ivan is now a handsome New Yorker

The series of skyscrapers almost filled every space of concrete as different people occupied what was left of it. The noise, from vehicles to mixture of conversations, left no silence. One busy morning, Ivan let out a lazy yawn. He felt warmer, and quite suffocated. He rolled on a single bed and-

"Ow." He fell on his back.

He looked at his surroundings; everything was cramped, and blurred. Squinting, there was a bed, a cluttered desk, a white modern cabinet; their distances was no more than his height, he assumed. He slowly stood up, and rubbed his eyes. He noticed that his vision wasn't getting any better. As if it was instinct, he spotted a pair of glasses and put them on; now he can see well. As he skimmed the room, a tall mirror by the cabinet showed a stranger.

"Uhh, kto-" The stranger spoke the same thing. Surprised, he covered his mouth.

He moved towards the mirror, step by step, closer. He saw a handsome teenager? He guessed that he was about his age. He gazed at a golden blond with strange bed hair. He touched his face, felt his freckles most of his cheek. He noticed his eyes were bright blue, compared to his dull violet. Suddenly, his face flushed when he realized he was gazing at someone's eyes. He distracted himself by ruffling his hair, then, combed it with his fingers, yet a few still persisted to stick out. He kept on patting the spot of stray hair but failed to flatten it.

Noticing the time passed, he had enough, and went to the balcony through the sliding door. Flabbergasted, he was greeted with a view he didn't know he would see it before him; he felt like he was above the world. The tall buildings towering each other, the sea of people, the jammed traffic, the different roads above and under, and the sun piercing through the smoky sky.

' _Ya ne mogu poverit' v eto…_ ' He gaped in awe.

As he heard a loud vibration from his room, he saw the cellphone blinking. He took it, not minding the wallpaper which was his selfie, and checked the messaged he received… in English.

' _Khoroshaya veshch', ya znayu angliyskiy_ ' He mused as he felt lucky that he know the language a little bit. He mentally thanked his English class. He continued to read the recent message.

From: Broskiku-sama-senpai-kun

Where are you? You missed two classes already.

' _O nyet._ ' He huffed, he can't seem to reply because the phone asked for a passcode. Thinking about it, he almost forgot that he was now living another life. Or, is it a dream? Didn't he ask for this? He felt, a lot of emotions at a time. He suddenly missed his friends, his place, and at the same time, he felt relieved. He was beginning to explore a new world, and he wouldn't miss it, even with someone's life, or even if it was a dream. He started looking for something to wear. They didn't seem to wear any uniform here, he hypothesized. He opened the dresser, and grabbed whatever he found. He wore a black T-shirt with an old meme printed, and a pair of navy blue jeans. He put on a denim polo shirt, left it open, and wore a red Converse. He grabbed his bag, and ready to go. As he left his bedroom, he noticed, by the coffee table, a blond man with memorable eyebrows who seemed to be looking for something.

"Blimey, why do I always keep forgetting this thing?" He muttered in a British accent, holding something on his hand and shoved it in his pocket.

He noticed that Ivan was standing there, watching him, and noted, "Alfred, why are you still here? Don't you have classes to attend to?"

"Da- y-yes. I forgot to bring homework." He said, staring down the carpeted floor.

"Well, we'll better get going unless you want a li'l more time for chit-chat. Come along, I'll drive you there." The man said with authority.

"Thank you very much." He smiled, grateful that he didn't need to get lost on the way looking for the school.

The man stared at him, weirded out by his sudden politeness.

"Sure thing, lad." The man smiled a little, losing the uptight tone. He paced outside their unit, and Ivan followed him through the corridor. At the end of the hallway was the elevator, and the man pushed the down button then they waited for the elevator. When it rang a little chime, the elevator door opened, and they entered quietly. The man pressed the "1" button while the door closed. When the elevator began to move, Ivan felt light-headed. He wasn't used to the feeling as it was his first time riding an elevator this fast. He felt quite nauseous. The man looked at him with worry.

"Are you alright, son?"

"Horo- I'm fine, papa."

The man, who, apparently, is his father, snorted earning a confused look from Ivan.

"So, that's why you're nice to me? I don't really have the way how your papa spoke. You insult me, lad. You could fool me that you'd be Matthew, although you didn't get the accent right, but good thing I'm not as blind as you. Do you need new glasses or?"

Ivan was confused. He noticed the man sighed.

"Nevermind, we're at the car park now. Let's just get you to your school." His father returned to his previous demeanor, and went ahead to their car.

Ivan followed him, and chose to sit on the front seat. The whole drive to the school was silent, as the radio kept them silent. His father chose the music, which was a station dedicated to classical rock music. Meanwhile, Ivan observed the busy streets, noting the turns his father was making. When they arrived by the campus gate, they bid each other goodbyes and see-you-laters. Feeling that it was not enough, Ivan decided to peck his father on his cheek, and waved goodbye. His father was not amused, and drove off.

He walked briskly, obviously searching for the room, not knowing where he was headed.

"Bonnefoy-Kirkland, why aren't you in class?" An irritated voice spoke.

Ivan turned around to see who addressed him. He seemed like a teacher. Except for the get-up. He looked like someone in music history.

"I believe you're supposed to be on the other side of the building with Ms. Hedervary. You didn't even attend my class this morning."

"Sorry, sir. I'm quite lost."

The teacher wasn't buying it, but still helped him. "I'm sorry I don't completely memorize my students' schedule. You should ask your friend over there." The teacher glanced, his eyebrows scrunched, pointing where his supposed to be friend. He looked at the same direction, spotting an albino talking to someone who looked like him, although his hair was longer. Perhaps, he was his twin. The albino seemed to be showing something on his phone, cackling.

"This video is gold I tell ya." The albino exclaimed.

"I already saw that. You reblogged it from me." The blond deadpanned with a softer voice.

"Well, I didn't expect for you to be awesome."

Ivan approached the two and noticed his presence but they were still looking at their phones.

"Hey! Didn't see you in class. What happened?" His twin was still looking at the albino's phone as he insisted on looking at another meme.

"Yeah, Kiku vas looking for you." The albino said while scrolling on his blog.

"Ah, _really_? Where is he?" Ivan asked, not even minding the accent he let go as he rolled his "R".

The two now stared at him, as if there was a different person in front of them.

"Oh, uh, I think he's at the cafeteria now. We'll be there in a while, eh?" His twin reluctantly answered.

Ivan nodded and went ahead. The two gave each other looks, looks that were asking if they witnessed the same thing.

"Did you hear how he said 'really'? How does he do that?" Matthew, the twin, tried to copy how his brother rolled his "R", but failed.

"And he vas mocking me yesterday." Gilbert, the albino, pointed out.

"…we should follow him." Matthew said after thinking about his brother.

While the two followed him surreptitiously, Ivan asked for directions to the cafeteria from students walking along the hallway, earning him strange looks. When he got to the cafeteria, he saw people hanging out by the corner, some falling in line, while some were eating their lunch. He mentally slapped himself because he had no idea who Kiku is and what he looked like. ' _Kiku is a Japanese name, yes?_ ' Ivan guessed while he fall in line for lunch. When he grabbed his tray, he looked out for someone looked like an Asian. He spotted someone with ebony hair in ponytail eating his packed dumpling, and decided to approach him.

"K-kiku!" He awkwardly smiled, shouted his friend's name hesitantly. He attempted to pat the boy's shoulder but was shy.

"Alfred?" What do you mean 'Kiku'? He's right there." The Asian pointed to another Asian with shorter hair. Ivan felt his face was flushed.

"Sorry, I can't… tell you apart? Uhh…" He telepathically asked his name.

"Yao. I see you've become racist, Alfred. How dare you forget me. And, as you can see we have different hairstyles unless your eyesight got worse." The ponytailed Asian laughed while he patted the space beside him. Ivan sat there, put the tray on his table.

While they were talking, Kiku approached them with food on his tray and decided to seat in front of Ivan.

"Where have you been, Alfred? You missed something. 'Big time'." Kiku gestured the quotation marks.

"What do you mean?" Ivan asked, his heart was pounding. He felt bad for this Alfred person.

"Alice Vargas decided to transfer here in our school. You know, the love of your life. And why are you talking like that?"

"Like what?"

"That." Kiku was peeved for some reason. He sighed, muttered "Nevermind" and continued the topic.

"As I was saying, you should quit your part time job, and just pursue her here in the school premises."

"I… I'm not really interested." ' _Another conversation about my love life. Well, love life in general.'_ Ivan was annoyed.

"What? You've been chasing this girl and whining about how you're not making out, or even talk about stuff, as if working at the same place will make the two of closer. You do know that life is not a sitcom." Kiku deadpanned.

"I don't even know her, as you said. So why would I?" ' _Why are people interested, even invested, in these things?_ ' He thought, he grew tired of the idea.

"Alfred Bonnefoy-Kirkland, you've slept with, like, a different person per day and manage to call me after those one night stands to ask me the latest version of Pokemon, and I'm still surprised your part-time job is at a decent Italian restaurant to pursue a girl and it's not just to get in bed with her. That's quite dedicated."

Ivan didn't have enough time to process what he said. He was in culture shock, he supposed.

"Uhm, earth to Alfred?" Kiku was worried his friend wasn't able to speak while staring blankly.

"You guys are giving me headaches. Anyway, Kiku, you can have this. I had enough." Yao was about to dismiss himself.

"But, Matthew and Gilbert are on their way."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Gilbert has to pay me." Yao stopped and remained seated.

"Speak of the devil." The ponytailed Asian mused.

"So, did you guys notice our little Al decided to be a Russkie? I thought you hated their guts and now you're copying their accents. I knew you were a closeted commie." Gilbert greeted them while he sat beside Ivan, hugging his shoulder. Matthew sat beside Kiku.

"I do not." Ivan glared at the albino while he removed his arm from his shoulder.

"Please, you were crying about Anastasia months ago."

"It's Anastasiya, and mind you it's about Imperial Russia. The communists there are just plot-device." Ivan commented. He watched that movie with his little sister when she insisted.

"See? Mein Gott, Al, you're a commie!" He laughed at his joke while Ivan rolled his eyes.

"That's okay, Alfred. I'm with you." Yao comforted, patted his back.

Ivan was exasperated by their ignorant remarks, and sighed.

"So, I heard. Alice Vargas, huh?" Gilbert noted, smiled with droopy eyes. Matthew noticed this, and just stared at his lunch.

Ivan was quiet and decided not to join the conversation.

"Bro, what's wrong? Aren't you excited?" Matthew asked, worried about his brother being out of character.

"I-Uh… yes, I'm excited."

"You don't look like one."

"Well, you know. I'm nervous she's here." Ivan lied while smiling uncomfortably.

"Pffft, Al? You're nervous? I think she won't fall for that." Gilbert mused.

"Give him a break, Gil. I remembered you peed on your pants when you asked out Ms. Hedervary."

"Aiyah, that puppy love. You were student-zoned back then." Yao laughed.

"And then, his boyfriend was not really fond of you." Matthew giggled.

"Ugh, that guy vas a pain in the ass in music class. Like, c'mon, I play the flute not the trombone. Why insist on placing me in the brass section?"

"Because it suits you." Yao commented earning a giggle from Matthew.

"I scared my pet bird because of it. He really liked the flute, y'know."

"That's so gay, Gil."

"As if you're not, Matt." Yao said with mischievous looks.

"What the heck, Yao." Matthew glared at the ponytailed Asian.

"Gilbert, I believe your crush is actually on Mr. Edelstein, right?" Kiku joined.

"Kiku, I appreciate your attempt to rebut but it's not that awesome."

"Hey, Alfred. Wanna have my lunch? I'm a bit full now." Gilbert pushed his tray to Ivan's side.

"Uh, no thank you." Ivan rejected his tray.

"Who are you?! What have you done with my brother?" Matthew finished his joke with a giggle which Ivan was thankful for because he almost felt his heartbeat stop.

As the group shared their fair of laughter, they were getting on several topics; Ivan just listened and felt relieved. He was entertained by his friends, he was reminded of his friends back in his hometown. When they finished their lunch, Yao asked Gilbert for his debt and debated a little. After their little quarrel, they went on their own ways to their classes.

Throughout his classes, he learned quite a lot. His guess was right that he was about the same age as Alfred, and apparently they were both in secondary school, or high school as they would call it. Their education was fairly similar except for its liberated students. Some students could decide to humor their teacher although some of the teachers weren't as impressed as the others. Good thing it was not obligated to recite as much as his school. When their classes end, their group met up by the lockers in the hallway.

"So where should we go?" Yao asked.

"I guess we should go to Starbucks?" Kiku suggested.

"Or IHOP? And eat pancakes?"

"We just ate there yesterday, Matt. So Starbucks?" Gilbert countered the bespectacled blond.

"Starbucks?" Ivan said with enthusiasm. He didn't mind the uncomfortable pause his friends had.

"Ugh, you guys suck. If there's no pancakes in Starbucks again I will kill a man."

"I'll treat you a crappuccino if there's none." Gilbert bribed, and Matthew nodded, quite flushed.

"Okay, so the love quarrel has been solved. Let's go." Yao chimed earning a glare from the blond.

Ivan ignored their little dispute while he was anticipating on their trip to Starbucks. Although he wasn't a fan of such capitalist coffee shop, he was excited what was like to take in the sights rather than seeing it on phone. The city life always felt compelling to him.

When they got to Starbucks, he was awestruck. He can't help but react.

"Woooooooah."

"What's so special about Starbucks, Alfred?" His brother asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing. It's just. Looked better than in pictures." His voice faltering into a decrescendo.

"Pffft. It's weird that you're drooling over a coffee shop than Alice now." Gilbert joked with a hopeful voice.

"Character development, huh?" Kiku mused while Yao giggled at the remark of his fellow Asian friend.

"Ah… haha. I guess?" Ivan humored along.

"Mein Gott, it's weird that you're quiet."

"Let's get some seats first." Matthew suggested while looking for seats for their group.

"Yeah yeah, you guys go ahead and I'll order the stuff." Gilbert went in line.

"Me too. Kiku, my seat's beside you." Yao followed Gilbert.

"Noted." Kiku complied as he sat down with Matthew and Alfred in front him.

"Mine's maple mocha frap!" Matthew shouted loud enough for Gilbert to hear.

"Does that even exist?" Gilbert was bewildered but remained in line. He saw the menu and yes, it exists.

"What's your order, Kiku?" Yao asked while he saw Kiku staring at the menu above their head.

"Whatever you choose." Kiku shrugged, he didn't want to waste time staring at the endless choices.

"Al, what's yours?" His brother asked him.

' _Everything is expensive._ ' Ivan pouted; he didn't know what to choose so he copied Kiku's answer.

"Whatever is fine." He smiled with furrowed brows.

"Seriously, what do you want? You usually order like, three or four items from the menu." Matthew asked again, not really believing his brother's "order".

' _Okay. I guess. This is just a dream, right? This isn't really my money. I will be back… in my old life… after this._ ' Ivan pondered and felt his chest became heavier.

"I'll have the chicken artichoke sandwich, smores, and green tea cappuccino." Ivan enumerated his order, and Matthew nodded as he went to the line.

When the three of them had their orders punched, they joined their group. Yao sat beside Kiku; Gilbert sat beside Yao; Matthew sat beside Alfred as he was in front of Gilbert. When they felt the air was dead, Matthew managed to start the conversation.

"So, uh, Al. How's your classes so far?"

"Is fine. I've learned a lot."

"What the fuck, dude. It's reaaally weird you're quiet, especially your smile. Even Matt started the convo, Mein Gott."

"You should've spoken first, Gil." Yao muttered.

"Give me a break. I'm kinda tired from telling you my story while we were in line. I'm not like Alfred even if I'm obnoxious."

"Wow, you knew that?" Matthew mused.

"Yes. I'm fully aware but that doesn't stop me from being awesome."

"Yeah, Matthew would totally know because-"

"Ow! You do realize you kicked me?" Gilbert reacted.

"Sorry." Matthew blushed while Yao laughed. ' _You're dead to me'_ Matthew glared at Yao. The Asian wasn't faltered even by a bit.

"Order for Yo! Order for Yo!" The Starbucks employee announced.

"Hey, yo. Take your order, yo." Matthew said and Yao just sighed at the name given by the staff, walking towards the counter.

"Order for 'The Awesome'! Order for 'The Awesome'!" The employee announced while their group was grumbling, and the albino was snickering.

"What the heck, Gil." Matthew sighed while Ivan was amused at the scenarios happening.

"You're just jealous that it's a fact." Gilbert said while he stood up to get their orders.

" _Ugh, why did I even like this idiot?_ " Matthew whispered. Ivan heard even though his whisper was weak for his voice.

He felt weird. He just witnessed a guy liking another guy. He remembered his father greatly discourage such act and he always wondered why. There was nothing wrong with it. He knew he wasn't gay; he didn't even acknowledge being in a relationship.

Matthew stood up to take their order. Kiku was busy playing a game in his phone but he knew he was listening at his surroundings. The Asian felt his gaze and paused his game.

"Are you going to say something?"

"Not really."

"By the way, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

Before Kiku got to answer, his phone vibrated.

From: Mr. Ikea

Where r u? Youre late for work & the restaurant is slowing down. Its currently a full house here.

Ivan's eyes were wide open when he read the text.

"I guess that's your queue to leave?" Kiku deadpanned while Ivan was panicking.

"Uhm, uhh… do you know where this is?" Ivan hesitantly asked.

"Huh?" The Japanese knew what he was talking about but still didn't believe it.

"The restaurant… where I work?" Ivan knew he looked stupid asking the question.

"Really?"

"Uhm, it's okay if you just say the name of the restaurant."

"I can't believe you forgot. It's 'Del Posto' in 10th Ave. Hurry up."

Ivan nodded quickly as he heard his answer and stood up. He mumbled "Spasiba" to Kiku, and Kiku thought of it as his Russophile phase so he dismissed it.

"Hey, where is he going?" Matthew and Gilbert said in unison. They looked at each other and smirked.

"He's late for work." Kiku stated.

"Aiyah, that kid has gotten forgetful."

"I'm really worried for him." Matthew muttered.

"Maybe he's stressed?" Yao said.

"About what? You know he'd be twice as noisy."

"Well, any problems at home?"

"I don't know. You know him, he's always fighting with dad. It doesn't usually get to him."

"How about your papa?"

"He's still at abroad for work."

"Maybe that's it?"

"Papa is in France since last week."

"Just cheer up. At least he's not spazzing about his dream girl again." Gilbert hugged Matthew's shoulder.

"I-I guess."

.

Ivan went to an internet café nearby to find directions to the restaurant. Tempted, he ordered a slice of cheesecake and took several photos of it with different angles. When he finished eating, he memorized the directions and walked through the busy street. He took the subway and while on the way, he took photos of random things since that's the only thing he could do with the phone. ' _Why does this phone ask for a passcode_ and _a password?_ '

When he arrived at the restaurant, he walked through the main entrance. A waiter approached him.

"Why are you walking through the main entrance? Use the backdoor for Pete's sake." He whispered.

He obliged and saw lockers. He guessed where his locker was by attempting to open each. A short ash blond waiter noticed this.

"Your locker is at the end." He said.

"Thank you… Tino?" He read the employee's tag.

Tino nodded and went outside.

Ivan started wearing Alfred's three-piece uniform. He felt fancy and giddy. He then went through the busy kitchen, and to the dining hall. The hall was fancy, it felt like he was in a movie. The chandeliers were lit brightly; the table clothed round tables were decorated with flower vases and breadsticks; the plates had different silverwares by the side, he didn't even bother to count. His fellow waiters were scattered while he was standing in the middle of the carpeted hall, not knowing what to do. Fortunately, someone called him and he gladly complied. He prepared his notebook to take the order.

"May I have one Farfalle Ripiene ai Casunzei, two Insalata di Asparagi, one Orecchiette, one Livorno Stye Cacciucco, and Macedonia di Frutta for later." The lady spoke fast that he only manage to write down the first order.

"Ahh, could you slow down a bit?" Ivan asked, furrowed his brows. He felt that her friends were staring at him.

"My bad, one Farfalle Ripiene ai Casunzei. Two Insalata di Asparagi. One Orecchiette. One Livorno Stye Cacciucco. Macedonia di Frutta, for dessert." The lady was kind enough to repeat their order.

He wrote down whatever he heard and didn't care if he spelt it wrong. He went near the kitchen and put the orderlist by the kitchen window. He went back to the dining area to see who needed his service. He went to a pair of couple and they asked for additional order.

"Can we have another Bauletti?" The man ordered politely.

"Sure." He wrote down the order quick and another customer was calling him so he excused himself.

"I'll have the Torta di Ricotta e Limone, but without the black pepper." The girl said then continued eating pasta. He nodded while he wrote down her order.

"Waiter! Water, please." Another customer requested. Ivan paced to the countertop and grab a pitcher to fill the customers' glasses. He practically ran to the kitchen window to leave the orderlists. He went back to the area and-

"Excuse me, can we follow up our order?" Another customer asked when he was near their table.

"What would that be?"

"The Amor Polenta we ordered 45 minutes ago."

"Horosho, ah. Very well." He walked fast to the window but another customer stopped him.

"Can we have more breadsticks?" The boy said, and Ivan complied. When he reached the kitchen, he informed the cook about the follow up. The kitchen was noisy, with the shouting of colorful language. He left with the orders while tempted to watch but he remembered he had a job to do. He went to a table and placed their orders.

"This is not what we ordered."

"Prosti. Sorry."

"It's okay. Just hurry up."

He found who ordered the Sfogliata di Mele and Chocolate Budino and placed it on their tables. He hurried back to the kitchen but was stopped again by another request of water. As he arrived by the kitchen window, he took the orders and served it to the customers. The night was kept busy until the closing time was near. A group of men was left in the dining hall, and the waiters just watched them while they were cleaning.

"Waiter."

One of the waiters pushed Ivan; he glared at them. One just sticked out his tongue and Ivan just huffed and accepted his defeat. He approached the man.

"I noticed there's toothpick on my Beef Carpaccio." He pointed out the toothpick which was obviously placed rather than an accident.

"Sir, I believe there are no toothpicks in Italian restaurant."

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? I almost choked on this and you just spewed nonsense instead of apologizing?"

"Excuse me, sir, he was a bit stressed today. Since it's our fault, we'll treat you a dessert, okay?" The brunette appeared, smiling while she was getting the plate the customer complained about.

"I'll handle this, si? Go back and help them clean up the tables." She whispered and Ivan nodded.

He continued cleaning the hall while watching for the brunette. Unaware, one of the men was quick to slash the brunette's skirt, and they were smiling like perverts. When they were finished eating, they left the restaurant. When they were finished cleaning up, they decided to change their clothes.

"Alice! Your skirt! It's torn." A waitress pointed out.

"Oh no, where did this come from?"

"Must be the perverts."

Alice pouted while covering the ragged slit.

"I'll fix it for you." Ivan offered and Alice beamed. A tall blond was watching them, glaring.

"Really? You can do that?"

"Yeah, I sew sometimes."

"Perfezionare!"

When they got to the employee's locker room, they were alone.

"Give me your skirt."

"Woah, how bold of you."

"Ah, prosti. I mean, sorry. I'll just look at this wall and close my eyes."

Alice laughed while she unzip her skirt. When she was in her underwear, she saw a towel and mentally borrowed it for a while.

"You can open your eyes now."

Ivan looked at her while she was lending her skirt. He took the skirt and asked for a sewing kit. She looked at the cabinets and luckily there was one. Ivan hummed and took the kit. He quickly inserted the threat through the needle, and started sewing the torn skirt. Alice just watched him do his work in awe.

"You're like a sewing machine!"

Ivan giggled. "No, I'm just used to this."

Alice smiled at him, continuing to watch her co-worker's handiwork. When it was done, she was truly impressed. The skirt was now embroidered in Mezen style, which Alice didn't knew about. She thought the red birds were cute.

"This is adorable!" She squealed and Ivan smiled at her.

"It's nothing."

"No, it's cute! Thank you, really."

"No problem."

"Are you always this humble? To be honest, I wasn't really fond of you, you know? My first impression of you was that you're quite loud. Even I know that I'm noisy that my brother hates me for it. I still love him, though. Despite cussing a lot." She giggled.

Ivan just listened to her. He was not the type to converse with a stranger. But for him, this stranger was interesting so he just listened.

"Anyway, Alfred. It's nice to talk to you not that it wasn't before. Well, quite. Too bad I just decided to talk to you now. I'm sorry if I always ignored you."

"It's okay." He smiled.

"You should stop smiling like that, though."

"Like what?"

"Like a creep." She laughed.

"Why do I always get that?"

"Really? I think it's my first time seeing you smile like that. You always smiled like you're in an advertisement or something."

Ivan giggled and Alice laughed along.

"We should hang out on a weekend, you know, as friends?"

"We're friends now?"

"I think it's time to be."

While the two talk, their co-workers were staring at them. Particularly, one was glaring at them.

.

When he got home (good thing he could recall where he lived), he turned on his room's light, and fell into his bed and his body reminded him what a long day he had. ' _The American life sure is busy_.' He yawned. He checked his phone, still cannot unlock the darn thing. He received messages, and read them just from the display.

From: Broskiku-sama-senpai-kun

How are you?

From: Gilfart

heyyy kiku said ur not replying

He huffed, and went to the living room. There were no people so he laid on the sofa. He turned on the television. ' _Ooh, high tech_.' It was a smart tv. He managed to get used to the remote, and went to YouTube. A bit homesick, he watched Russian TV shows, and read some comments. It was weird reading his alphabet again, and decided to watch more. When he felt sleepy, he turned off the television, and went back to his room. A memory glimpsed through him, reminding of the written 'Who are you?' in his notebook in Russia. He grabbed a marker and wrote down his name. He yawned, cleaned up a bit, changed his clothes, and laid on his bed. It was a long day for a dream.


	5. Alfred was drunk yesterday, right?

"Alfred."

An unheard yet familiar voice echoed. It was calling him.

"Alfred…

Do you remember me?"

Alfred opened his eyes, and instantly forgot what he was dreaming. He scratched his eyes and noticed his arm was dirty. He squinted and failed to see his arm clearly. He grabbed his pair of glasses by the bedside and wore it. He checked his arm again. There was a name written on it with a marker. 'I'm Ivan Braginsky.' He narrowed his eyes. ' _Who the heck wrote this?_ ' He huffed, mentally complained having to clean up the name on his arm. He went to the bathroom, washed his arm, and removed his glasses to wash his face. After he took a piss, he took his phone on his study table. When he was about to check his phone, he caught the smell of pancakes cooking. He assumed it was Matt; his dad was a horrible cook, and his papa wasn't home yet. He continued checking his phone while on his way to the kitchen.

Missed Calls: 4

From: Broskiku-sama-senpai-kun

How are you?

From: Gilfart

heyyy kiku said ur not replying

From: Master Yao

So what happened to u? Not that i dont care. Kiku does and its annoying

He didn't know what to reply. He tried recalling what happened yesterday but failed to do so. He was sure that he didn't drink or smoke. He wasn't much a fan of weed unlike Matt and Yao. (He suspected Gilbert but he said he was too awesome for weed and he'd just stick to beer instead.) He came up with a reply: 'Im sorry, kiku. I think i was too tired yesterday so i dozed off.' He replied to Gilbert and Yao as well with 'Im fine don't worry about it' while his feet were taking him to the dining area. The pancakes were newly cooked he found himself drooling. Matt noticed his brother eating two pancakes already, and he just sighed.

"Slow down, son. You might choke on your pancakes." His father, who he didn't notice was there across the table, was feeling affectionate today by calling him "son".

"Arthur, please don't call me that." Alfred said, annoyed.

Arthur was visibly hurt he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well don't call me papa then. Good thing you lose the bloody accent." He countered.

"What are you talking about? What accent?"

"Russian." His brother answered for him.

"Mattie, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Bro, you were speaking in a Russian accent yesterday."

"Pfft. C'mon, why would I?"

"Well, I don't know, suddenly you became obsessed with Russian stuff, you binge-watched a Russian series I don't even know. Without subtitles!"

"Uh, dude, not really?" Alfred replied, disbelieving.

"You're even doing the 'R' thing the Russians do." Matthew attempted to demonstrate but failed.

"I totally didn't!"

"Wanna bet on it?"

"Hell yeah, I will." Alfred impulsively complied.

"No betting in this flat!" Their father interrupted their squabble.

"Dad, you always bet with Papa. Don't be a killjoy." Matthew rebutted making his father a little surprised.

"Yeah, Arthur, don't butt in." Alfred added earning an unamused look from Arthur.

Their father massaged his forehead while witnessing his sons fooling around.

"Anyway, if I win you're coming with me to watch Insidious 4 with us this weekend."

"Not cool, bro. Well, if I win you're going to buy me the latest action figure of Ochuhoshi, with her mecha pet."

"Deal." Matthew was confident while Alfred felt regretting the bet.

"You're a bunch of children. It's too early for this." Arthur blew his hot tea, irritated by the volume of their voices.

"Pfft, you sure you're not backing out, bro? You know you'd be disturbing the people in the cinemas once we got there." Matthew mused.

"As if I'm gonna back out." Alfred talked while eating, spitting bits of pancakes on the table.

"Where are your manners? I swear you're a pain in the arse." His dad commented.

Alfred rolled his eyes and chewed with his mouth closed. It was still noisy but Arthur was feeling tolerant because of yesterday.

When he had five or six pancakes, Matthew was ready. He sat in the living room browsing at his phone. Alfred stood up with the empty plates and dumped them in the sink.

"I'll clean that up." Arthur said, sipping his tea, while reading something on his phone.

Alfred went to his room and took a quick shower. When he was done, he looked through his dresser. He wore his usual t-shirt and pants, and a brown hoodie with a black hood. He brushed his hair while looking at the mirror. He wiggled his eyebrows because why the fuck not. He stepped outside of his room and went to his brother's who seemed to forget to brush his teeth, while he texted Kiku to meet up by the lockers.

"Hurry up, I think the school bus gonna be there soon."

"Gimme a sec." Matthew was brushing his teeth. He spat on the basin and wiped his mouth.

"Leggo."

They walked out from his room. Matthew bid goodbye to his dad while Alfred waited for him.

"Take care of your good for nothing brother, okay?" Arthur smiled a little.

"C'mon Matt. We don't want to spoil his tea party."

Matthew sighed and mouthed "sorry, dad" while he walked with his brother. Arthur smiled a little wider, closing his eyes. When the two boys were gone, Arthur exhaled a heavier sigh, already missing his son who he spent time with him yesterday morning. ' _What am I going to do with him, Francis?_ ' He sipped his tea thoughtfully. ' _I wish you were here already_.'

After a fair stretch of minutes, a knock on the door was followed by a familiar voice.

"Arthur! Could you open the door? I've brought a lot of luggage with me."

Arthur didn't hold back his smile and opened the door.

"Francis! You're here quite early than I expected. It's really good to see you. Have you seen the boys on your way?"

"Mon chéri, you're in a good mood?" He hummed. "Sadly, I didn't. How was your week? Je vous ai manqué."

"I missed you, too. It was the usual until yesterday. Alfred seemed to be getting along with me just fine."

Francis was excited for his husband's news. It's about time to put out the drama between them.

"He was being polite and even called me 'Papa'. Although, I'm expecting to be called 'Dad' but I didn't mind much. I didn't really think it was meant for you when he said it." Arthur continued, staring at his husband's eyes with excitement. It was rare to witness this, Francis mentally noted.

"Je suis tellement heureuse pour vous. Alfred has finally moved on then?"

"I hope so."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I wished he'd stay that way. He returned to his rebellious state this morning." He sighed.

"I guess you should pick a timing."

"Apparently you're good at that, seeing you now." Arthur looked at Francis with adoration.

"Arthur, darling, I appreciate your sweetness but it's really weird when you talk like that outside the bedroom." His husband joked.

"Bugger off, would you?" He was peeved by the statement, but he smiled a little.

"That's more like it."

.

Alfred and Matthew both rode the school bus. They spotted Gilbert in earphones, on their usual seat at the back row, but that day it was just the three of them. Alfred greeted him loud enough for him to hear and make the other passengers turn their heads to him. Gilbert greeted back with the same volume, and Matthew was looking at the passengers apologizing with his eyes and small bows. They sat beside Gilbert, Matthew being in the middle.

"So what happened Al? I heard from my bro that Alice is now friendly with you."

"WOAH, REALLY?!"

"Goddammit, Al, you shouted directly in my ear."

"Didn't you hear, Mattie? Alice likes me!"

"Yes, because as I said you shouted in my ear. And no, she likes you as a friend, not exactly what you were thinking."

"How would you know? Even I didn't know. I can't remember how it happened. Actually, I don't know what happened yesterday. I think I slept all day?"

"Wait, you don't remember being a decent human being yesterday?" Gilbert interjected, surprised by Alfred's statement.

"Hey, I still am!" Alfred defended.

"No, you were acting differently yesterday, bro. You're acting shy and quiet and I hate to say this but it doesn't suit you. It's really weird." Matthew countered.

"You sure I wasn't high?"

"I'd know if you were blazed, Al." Matthew stated with certainty.

"Do you remember having the Russian accent?" Gilbert asked.

"Dude, how did you know that?"

"I vas there. Every time you talk you can't seem to go back to your usual accent."

"I don't… remember?"

"But could you do the 'R' thing?" Matthew insisted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mattie."

"I knew you'd deny it so I recorded it." Gilbert announced and Matthew had his eyes wide open with excitement.

"Wow, Gil. You're a genius!"

"I know, I know." Gilbert grinned while Alfred rolled his eyes, smirking.

Gilbert brought out his phone and opened the audio file. Alfred and Matthew put their ears closer to the phone's speaker and listened. It was their conversation in the cafeteria. Matthew remembered that Gil was sitting beside Al.

"So, I heard. Alice Vargas, huh?" It was Gil's voice.

"Bro, what's wrong? Aren't you excited?"

"I-Uh… yes, I'm excited." It was… Alfred's voice. ' _Did I really say this? Why am I stuttering?_ '

"You don't look like one."

"Well, you know. I'm nervous she's here." Again, it was 'his' voice, if it is him.

"Pffft, Al? You're nervous? I think she won't fall for that."

"Give him a break, Gil. I remembered you peed on your-" The recording stopped.

"Awww, why did you cut it there?" Matthew teased.

"Because we're already here." Gilbert said, annoyed.

As they exited the bus, Alfred continued the topic while they were walking in the campus, towards the main entrance of the building.

"That could be anyone. That could be Mattie!" He exclaimed.

"You do know we just looked alike and we sound nothing alike." Matthew said while Alfred was aware of his brother's accent.

"Okay, I admit that it totally, well not totally, sounded like me."

"See?"

"But I can't seem to remember saying any of those things."

"Maybe you were too busy thinking about Alice last night." Gilbert guessed.

"He was watching Russian videos at home, which doesn't make any sense." Matthew said.

"That - I don't even remember." Alfred pointed out.

"Maybe you decided to drink because you were too happy about it." Gilbert guessed again.

"I didn't have any hint of hangover this morning."

"I guess you're immune now?"

"Is that even possible for him?" Matthew humored.

Gilbert shrugged.

When they entered the building, they walked to the lockers where they spotted Kiku and Yao talking to each other.

"Hey Kiku! What's up? Any updates on Magical Space Bandit Strike?"

"Not yet. Maybe it will be available tonight. I'll send you the link if it's up."

"Darn it. The last episode was a cliffhanger!"

"You say that every episode."

"But you have to admit it's really frustrating it ended where Uchuhoshi was sucked in a fucking black hole like WHY? Kiku, she doesn't deserve that; she's the protagonist. And her useless boyfriend just stared at her. Like, that's fucking tragic. She and Suisei should trade places like, that dick deserve it more. Uchuhoshi had more potential, dude. That character development was the point of the show but they wasted it. Kiku, that show was a legend, and it might be the end of its glory." He dramatically placed his hand on his chest, mourning for the death of the space bandit.

"Don't remind me."

"See? I'm just gonna watch the next episode because I really hope she's just having a nightmare or something."

Kiku smiled a little.

"Oh no, he's annoying again." Yao whined while the others snickered.

"Tell me about it." Gilbert added.

"Kiku and I were just talking about the death of someone majorly important. You guys just don't understand." Alfred defended and he wasn't aware of the volume of his voice since morning.

"I was really glad Gil was now the only obnoxious friend in our group but I guess I was wrong." The ponytailed Asian ignored Alfred while he mourned.

"Why do you guys decide to hurt my feelings?"

"Oh, Alfred. You're a ray of sunshine." Yao said with a 'wise hermit' tone. Alfred smiled at his compliment.

"But a ray that stings our skin so we needed to use umbrellas." Yao continued.

Alfred dropped his smile. "You could use sunblock if you want to. And besides, you love me. No homo."

"Don't worry. You're not my type even if I were gay."

"If you give Yao money, maybe he'll be turned on." Gilbert joked.

"Aiyah, you sad pale dumpling."

"That's a cute insult, Yao." Alfred humored.

"Shut it, white boy."

"Not as white as Gil the sad pale dumpling here."

Kiku spotted Alice and elbowed Alfred. The blond leaned towards his friend so he wouldn't need to tip the smaller boy's toes.

"Look at 3 o' clock."

Alfred looked at where Kiku instructed. He gaped at the love of his life. He was squealing inside and music filled his ears. The world slowed down as she was approaching him. ' _What do I do? She's going to talk to me. Is she going here in school now? She transferred here? She seemed like it. Why didn't Kiku tell me earlier? Oh my god. What should I say she's coming here-_ '

"ALICE! CIAO!" He was grinning.

Alice laughed nervously as she saw people were suddenly staring at her. "Alfred! Nice to see you here. You also go here? I just transferred here yesterday. It's quite far from the restaurant huh?"

' _Woah, that's four sentences. Holy shi-_ '

"Yeah. Well there's a subway if you think traffic will be time-consuming."

"Anyway, we could go there together from now on if you want to." Alice suggested.

"SURE! YES! I mean, yeah, that's cool."

He then laughed obnoxiously, earning a facepalm from his brother, snickers from Gilbert and Yao, and an unamused face from Kiku.

Alice lightly laughed along because she's a decent person.

"I guess we'll being seeing each other after class, si?"

"SI!"

"Okay," she giggled. "Later, Alfred!" She waved and hopped along the hallways.

"Woah, you're a nervous wreck."

"I know, I hate it. I don't even know why I lost my cool. I used to be a smooth motherfucker."

"That's adorable." Gilbert cooed.

"Hey, at least I don't pee in my pants."

"I was a freshman, okay? We should let this topic die. I already had enough yesterday."

Alfred pouted. ' _How come it feels like I wasn't in their conversations yesterday? I had a long dream which was more vivid than their stories. But, no way am I telling about it to them. I may be an open book but I'll try to find this on my own. Besides, it's just a dream, isn't it? Or maybe I need help from Kiku. Ugh, why am I bothered by this? It's just a dream._ ' He rationalized while his friends continued talking.

"Yao, we should get going." Gilbert poked his sides, earning him a glare from Yao which looked like squinting.

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a sec." Yao put some stuff in his locker then took some books and put it in his bag.

"Anyway, bye losers!" Gilbert turned to pace to his class with Yao.

"Sayonara, you white people, and Kiku." Yao followed Gilbert.

"You're not even Japanese."

"And yet I'm speaking English, you white German."

"See you later, Yo." Matthew cut their little convo with a joke which made Yao glare at him. Alfred didn't get it, so he just waved at them.

"Bye, Yao." Kiku waved his hand a little while he followed his classmates. Yao nodded and walked along with Gilbert.

Alfred walked beside Kiku while Matthew followed them.

"Please tell me Alice is in the same class."

"Brace yourself, then."

"Ugh, Kiku. You're terrible."

"Bro, if you woke up early yesterday then you should know."

"Can we stop talking about yesterday? I'm not really up for it."

Matthew exhaled through his nose while he pressed his lips and closed his eyes for a bit.

As they walked inside their classroom, they went to their seats. Kiku sat at his usual spot and continued on his business by reading a manga he can't understand because it wasn't translated; it was a queue for Alfred which means 'don't bother me for a while' so he let him be. He noticed that no one was greeting him so he started greeting them. His classmates were reluctant, giving him shy and hesitant replies. He turned to Matthew, and without even speaking Matthew knew how to answer.

"Well, you kinda snobbed them… yesterday."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't know, when they greeted you, you just smiled at them, but you were giving an intimidating aura."

"Gosh, maybe I was really high and it's like I had another personality."

"Al, bro, it doesn't work that way."

"Well, I can't think of another reason." He looked at Kiku who was still reading so he gave up asking for help. He saw Alice and was about to talk to her but their history teacher already arrived.

The teacher, Ms. Herdevary, stand by the teacher's table, and some students were still talking. She tapped the desk multiple times to get their attention.

"Listen up. Today, instead of history class, we'll be preparing for your career assessment next week, and I want all of you to decide regarding your career paths before the career counselor arrive. Here are the 110-item questionnaires that might help you decide which career you should choose," She handed a bulk on each seat of the front row while other students were grunting. "Then pass it on your rows. Don't worry it's not graded so stop your whining."

"As you can see, it's a personality test, also known as Myers Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI for short. I'd like to give you a quick info since this is a history class but this won't be included in our future quizzes." She said while watching the student glance at their papers.

"It's an introspective self-assessment regarding how you experience and decide on things based on sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking. It was constructed thanks to the mother and daughter, Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers, who were an American educator, and author, respectively. They're inspired by Carl Jung's typological theory; he's a famous Swiss psychiatrist, kiiiinda in league with Sigmund Freud." She discussed while her students were answering the test.

"Anyway, when you're done, keep quiet as you wait for others to be finished." She instructed as she sat crossed-legged on her desk.

After almost an hour, the class waited for others to get done. Alfred was already done so he checked his phone under his desk. There was no notifications but since he was bored, he checked his photo album; he felt eerie. His album had new photos of a cheesecake in poor angles, and stray cats. His friends didn't really care about his phone and use it for photos like these unless they're horrendous selfies. He wasn't a fan of people taking photos of food unless it's something funny. He also didn't know what went into him when he took pictures of random things in the streets. He sometimes do take pictures randomly but it was mostly places, architecture, or designs that fascinated him. He continued browsing through his album, and there were also photos of cats (' _Cats are cool I guess._ ' He thought), and flowers (' _I didn't know there were sunflowers here? Wait, did I go to a flower shop? I don't even know what Alice's favorite flower is yet._ ')

"Mr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland, keep your phone in your pocket or else." She warned.

' _Shit_.' He quickly locked his phone, and kept it on his jacket's pocket.

"I presume all of you are done. Pass your papers. The results will be distributed tomorrow. Class dismissed." She collected their answered sheets while the some students walk outside.

Alfred, Matthew, and Kiku stayed on their seats. Kiku returned to what he was reading while wearing his earphones. Alfred pouted when he knew he couldn't vent along with his best friend. He decided to begin his rambling with his twin.

"Man, that was kinda unnecessary." Alfred complained about their test. "I already know what I'll be in the near future. Besides, it's kinda weird that you're choosing your job because it suits your personality. Why not choose your own shit because you'd be doing that shit."

"I think it's practical, eh?" Matthew said.

Alfred looked at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? C'mon bro, I know you're more than that."

"What I meant is, it could help you decide especially if you're the type to be uncertain, which is I guess you won't understand because of your natural talent, and impulsive tendencies."

"I'm not impulsive! Believe it or not, I thought of being an architect since I was a kid. I practiced a lot to be better. My 'talent' didn't pop up from nowhere. It's something I worked hard on." Alfred defended with furrowed brows, ended his little speech with a huff.

"Still, think of how lucky you are, Al."

"I just know what to fight for."

"You're not in a war, bro." Matthew knew that he was talking about his and his dad's issue but he didn't mentioned it, especially when their teacher arrived.

"You know what I'm saying." He said as he tapped Kiku's shoulder so he could warn him about the teacher's arrival.

.

When their morning classes ended, they went to the cafeteria. Gilbert and Yao were yet to be there. They fall in line and grabbed their own trays. When they got their food, they spotted Gilbert and Yao on their way to fall in line, so Alfred waved and pointed where they're going to sit. Gilbert nodded and went back to talk to Yao. When Alfred was about to sit, he saw Alice talking to other girls, and he also noticed her brother (' _Apparently, he transferred as well.'_ He thought.) on another table ranting about something to a higher year who was a friend of Gilbert. (They're still friends but Gilbert hanged out more with Yao then Kiku and the twins because they don't share classes anymore.) He stared at Alice again, wishing that she'd be beside him. But on second thought, watching her laugh with a smile that he'd replay in his head a thousand times was better for the time being. Alice noticed him, and waved. Alfred waved back with a lopsided grin. ' _Okay, I should sit because I looked like an idiot_.' He realized.

Alfred then sat beside Kiku while Matthew was in front of them. They went on eating their lunch, and Alfred wasn't really a fan of silence, especially when he was in a good mood.

"So what are you gonna be, Mattie?" Alfred asked, still regarding about the career assessment, while smiling, a little giddy because of his little encounter with Alice.

"I'm still contemplating about it, but I'm leaning towards astronomy. Haven't decided which field though." He replied, trying to match his brother's mood.

"Wow, why didn't I think of that? That's actually rad, bro. I can definitely see you hovering inside a space station, or do some maths." Matthew smiled at his brother's remark. "How 'bout you, Kiks?"

"My parents want me to be a surgeon so… how about yours?"

"Woah, really? You'd definitely be successful, Dr. Honda. And pfft, duh. I'll be an architect. I'm kinda hurt you forgot. You should stop reading your-"

"I didn't know you vanted to be an architect?" Gilbert interjected while he placed his tray on the table as he sat beside Matthew.

"If you flip a page of Al's notebook, you'd definitely get a hint." His brother stated.

"What?! You can draw?!" Yao exclaimed when he shouldn't be.

"Yao, I'm flattered but yeah, you guys didn't know?"

"You didn't share that info, you know." Yao countered.

"Could you show us some of your masterpiece, then?" Gilbert pried.

"Sure." Alfred smiled at his friends' interest as he pulled out a random notebook from his bag, too lazy to think of which to pick, and placed it on the table. Gilbert took it and flipped through its pages. He stopped and looked at a sketch long enough for Alfred to peek. He gulped.

"Hey, what's this?"

Alfred shrugged.

"It looked like some place in Europe." Matthew commented.

"Eastern Europe." Gilbert corrected, then smirked.

"So, your inspiration for your career is Russia?" He grinned mischievously.

"Ugh, way to generalize, but dude, no. That's just a random sketch."

"Random sketch? It's all over your notebook." He flipped its pages fast enough for others to see. "There are different angles of these places, and it even has a sketchy blueprint." Gil pointed out, still skimming through the notebook.

"Gimme that. That could be any place, y'know."

"Fine. What's wrong with Russia anyway?"

He didn't know why he was frustrated but somehow he had an idea why 'he' was acting different. He didn't dwell on the thought though. He continued eating his lunch while Gilbert dismissed his attitude, and changed the topic. Kind of.

"Anyway, Matt said Alfred will be joining us this Friday, you know, to watch the latest Insidious." He chirped.

"What?!"

"Remember, I won the bet." Matthew reminded cheekily.

"Fine. But don't blame me if we get kicked out in the cinema."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't forget your diaper, okay?" Yao teased.

"Shut up."

"So, are you gonna bring Alice?" Gilbert inquired.

"Holy shit, Gil, you're a genius!" He exclaimed in excitement, but dropped as realization struck him. "…or not. God dammit. I really want her to join us, but I have to take a giant chill pill and determination, and watch some goddamn horror movies to practice." He shoved a big bite of his burger.

"So are you telling me that you're gonna invite us to a movie night?" Gilbert joked but Alfred took it seriously.

"Papa's going home tonight so Matt's the only one who's gonna join me, right bro?"

"I have homework so you do that alone."

"You're such a killjoy. C'mon, brooooooooo. Pleeeeaaaseeeee." He said it rather maturely.

"That's not gonna work." Matthew ain't having Alfred's shit.

"Okay, fine. Don't freak out if you woke up beside me."

"Whatever, I'm not joining you watch movies. It's still a school day, Al. And you'd be home late like the usual. Unless, you quit your job."

"Not you too, you nerd." Alfred stuck out his tongue then Matthew did the same.

They continued eating while Gilbert talked to Matthew about something Alfred can't relate to. He wondered how they managed to get along. But then, he can't argue with that because his best friend is Kiku, obviously he's quite the opposite of him. He appreciates Kiku even though there were many times they disagreed on things, but they usually reminded themselves that they were best friends since elementary.

"Good thing you are thinking about something that doesn't involve Alice Vargas." Kiku commented.

Another reason why he's best friends with Kiku: he knew Alfred too well.

"I'm just appreciating our friendship; that's all."

"I'm touched." He deadpanned, although Alfred knew he was sincere.

"Anyway, did ya bring your flashdrive?"

"I always have it with me. Why?"

"I kinda need to practice being cool watching a horror movie."

"You don't practice watching a movie. Just watch it. You'll appreciate it. Stop being a baby."

"I'm not being a baby. You know how devoted I am when watching movies. It feels too real to me."

"You need to remove yourself in the movie then."

"I feel like that makes sense if I understand it more."

"I mean, don't get too invested."

' _Don't get too invested? Maybe that will work_.' Alfred was suddenly reminded about his life in Russia. Is it really his? He hope it is, and at the same, he doesn't. What was it really all about? ' _Don't get too invested_.' He's kinda interesting, he thought. He tried remembering the name. ' _Don't get too invested_.'

Kiku poked his sides earning a wild reaction from Alfred. "Hey! You know I'm ticklish."

"You were daydreaming about Alice suddenly."

"Now, you're wrong." He smirked, realizing Kiku was wrong for the first time since they'd known each other.

"Oh really now?" The Asian raised an eyebrow.

"Yep." Still smug until-

"Then, explain to me why you had that lovestruck face a while ago?"

"Pfft. What? I was thinking about Russia." He covered his mouth, realizing his honesty.

"Wow, is it possible to be sexually attracted to a country?" Gilbert joined in their conversation.

"What the fuck, no. Why did you need to add 'sexually' in that sentence?"

"I just saw the face of a hormonal teenaged boy reminiscing about a wet dream."

"No, Gil. As much as I could get 'hormonal', I'm decent enough not to think about a wet dream while I'm in public."

"You're adorable, Al. You're indeed in high school, with the denial and all. I thought you were an eloquent guy." He laughed.

"Just shut up, will ya? You're not really making any sense."

"There, there." Kiku comforted, still in his monotone voice. Yao couldn't help but laugh.

Alfred grumbled as he took big bites of his food. He was the first one finished with his lunch. He multitasked by pretending to listen to his friends' conversations while still contemplating about his vivid dream. He kept on trying to remember the name, but he failed. When all of them were finished eating, they went to their separate ways as they bid their creative see-ya-laters, on their way to their respective classes.

.

When their classes ended, they met outside the building's campus, sat by the staircase. Alfred, along with his friends, waited for Alice. As they kill time, Alfred asked Kiku to come with him in the restroom in a tone Kiku knew, and he complied. They walked through the halls, and Kiku seemed to forget something.

"My flashdrive's in my locker." Kiku informed him, earning him a nod from the blond.

He took his flashdrive from a small box in his organized locker. "Here."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Anyway, anything you want to share?" Kiku reminded him why he needed to go to the bathroom. It's their usual queue of 'I need to talk to you alone.' They went to an empty classroom and Kiku encouraged him to talk, eyeing him.

"It's just, there's this dream I had. It felt too real. And it wasn't me."

"In English?" Kiku asked him to be clear as Alfred huffed at this remark but continued anyway.

"I'm saying, that in my dream, I was someone else. It was friggin' long. It felt like a day."

"And you're stressed about this?"

"No. Well, yes. I'm so bothered by it but I don't really want to share it with them. They'll just tease me about it. They were already teasing me about it."

"Is your dream in Russia?"

"How did you know?"

"That's the only thing they've been teasing you about so far today, and you were so affected by it."

"Yes, it is in Russia. At first I can't understand them, the people in my dream. Like, how come you couldn't understand your own dream? That's creepy, man."

"Isn't it common that dreams are vague?"

"It's not really vague. It's confusing."

"I'm currently confused."

"Ahh, nevermind. I'll fill you in if I've got proof or something."

"Just tell me if you dreamt of it again."

"Right."

They went back by the staircase and Alice was also there with them. They were talking about the Renaissance period for some reason.

"Here they are." Yao said as they turned their heads to Alfred and Kiku.

"Done making out?" Gilbert joked.

"Yeah, it vas awesome." Alfred copied Gilbert's accent, earning him the middle finger from the albino.

"Anyway, I'd love to chat but I have a quiz tomorrow. See you tomorrow, and nice meeting you Alice." Yao bid his goodbye and headed to the main road. They waved back, and Alice was waving energetically.

"Bro, you know that Papa is probably at home now so I should go ahead. Don't be late, okay? I'll tell him to save you dinner."

"Hey, no need. I'll just eat dinner with Alice so we'll have enough energy for tonight."

"Aaaand, I would need to meet up with my brother so, Auf Wiedersehen." Gilbert walked with Matthew, leaving Kiku with the two. They bid them take-cares and saw them turn to a corner.

"I'll be walking with you until the subway." Kiku deadpanned.

"Okay, cool."

"Hi, Kiku!"

"Hello, Alice."

"So, how's class?"

"We are of the same class, Alice."

"Oh, my bad."

"It's fine."

They walked to the subway in silence. Alfred took the liberty to dwell with his thoughts. Kiku noticed this, and felt bad that Alice wanted to engage in a conversation. When Kiku was about to start a topic, he noticed they were already near the subway so he simply said that it was time for them part ways, and bid them take-care, and they did too. They walked into a diner nearby the station and placed their orders.

"That's a nice side of you."

"What?"

"Your silence. For some reason, it's comfortable."

"Believe it or not, I used to be quiet like Kiku. We were both shy little kids who somehow got close in preschool."

"How come you're… more expressive now?"

"Long story short, I hate my parents."

"Pfft, how straight forward. I feel like we're really friends."

"While I'm straight forward, they're not." He joked.

"Ohh, your parents are gay?" Alice, luckily, was as witty as him, he thought.

"Yeah, but I don't really mind; they're really cool, well one of them. They could provide us what we need and all, sometimes even more. They're quite the stars. One's a famous writer, one's an international chef. It's just that, sometimes, I wonder where my real parents are."

"But aren't you happy that they're able to provide you enough like real parents? Unlike your real parents, I mean."

"Maybe they lost us somewhere."

"Aren't you legally adopted?"

"I doubt that."

"How come?"

Alfred was about to say something but their order arrived. Alice was eating her spaghetti, while Alfred was eating a hotdog sandwich, and French fries, then donuts.

"So, care to tell me a little bit about you?"

"You know, I'm just an Italian girl living in New York."

"That's a cute introduction. How's New York so far?"

"I've been in New York for six years. Good thing, my English is getting better. You had no idea what I've been through when I first got here. I was lucky my brother's always there for me to divert attention."

"He's a really nice brother then."

"Pfft, not really. His language is mainly profanity, and he kinda 'fight' people with his colorful cussing, which I don't even know where he got that."

"Maybe from his friends?"

"Antonio is like, the opposite of him."

"I see. By the way, you're quick to make friends in our school."

"I have my ways to be friendly, and besides I like them than the ones from my previous school."

"Why is that?"

"Usually, my friends tell me I'm ditzy but I disagree. I just don't like high school drama to be honest. Like, c'mon, loosen up. There's more to life than crying about boys or how you look."

"Damn, you're really cool."

"I know, right?"

He laughed while Alice giggled along. They finished what they were eating, went to the subway, and rode the train to their workplace.

"I just noticed, you don't do the hand thing." He demonstrated the Italian hand gesture meme, earning an unimpressed look from Alice.

"Wow, Alfred. I'm hurt."

"Pfft, sorry. Can't help thinking about it."

"You should cut off your browsing hours of memes."

"Hey, memes are cool."

"I can't believe I just heard that sentence." She burst, laughing. The passengers were looking at them briefly.

Alfred pouted while his eyes were smiling. They arrived at their designated station, and walked to the restaurant. They entered through the employee's entrance, and changed into their uniforms. They paced to the dining hall, and made themselves busy throughout the night. It was a decent night, but it was still enough to get them tired. After their shift, they talked for a while.

"Hey, wanna join us tomorrow for a movie night? To commemorate your membership in our group." He asked, hoping she'd say yes and no at the same time; he was having mixed feelings regarding what he just asked.

"Okay! After school, si?" She replied enthusiastically which made Alfred giddy, and terrible at the same time.

They exchanged goodbyes, and went to their own homes. Despite his fear for tomorrow, he can't help but feel excited.

.

He had been smiling, looking like a goof. He knew that but he didn't care. He managed to get through the night with Alice Vargas without fucking up. He felt like he was the luckiest man alive, and getting to know Alice made his week, even his whole lifetime. He always knew Alice was an amazing person but it was more than he expected. She was an incredible friend, and he fell in love even more. He kept repeating on his head the conversations they had while he unlocked the door of his unit. He still wore his love struck smile but instantly dropped when he saw Arthur sitting by the living room, tapping his toes like an impatient man that he was.

"You're late." His dad stood up, welcomed him in a sardonic tone.

"As if you don't come home by midnight. And besides, you already know why so stop bitching about it." He rolled his eyes, slammed the main door behind him, and was about to pace to his room but his father stopped him.

"Alfred Bonnefoy-Kirkland. I simply cannot tolerate this. Why would you still insist to come home in ungodly hours when you have enough allowance? Mind you, I am working my arse, heck, our arses to provide what you need and you keep ignoring it." Arthur said through gritted teeth.

"I don't need your _bloody_ money." He mocked his father's accent while he continued walking to his room.

"You better come back here and talk to me like a decent person, young man!"

Alfred ignored him and closed his bedroom door. He didn't have time to lock the door, so Arthur opened it, hitting his son. He rubbed his forehead while muttering cusses. He looked furious but he was concerned yet Alfred couldn't see that.

"Son," Alfred cringed but Arthur didn't mind, "you don't need to work for yourself while you're studying."

"I'm doing fine."

"You're just saying that. I saw your school records."

"Wow, you spared time for my grades. I'm so touched." He remarked sarcastically.

"I don't like it that you're barely studying because of your goddamn pride."

"It's not because of my 'goddamn pride'. I really enjoy working there, okay?"

"Life is not all fun and games. You should be studying well."

"But I _am_ studying well." He whined; he felt frustrated because he was telling the truth. "It's just," he spoke, rather for himself, at himself. "I don't feel like I'm myself some days." His voice faltered as he realized he shared his thoughts to someone who'd be the last person he'd want to talk about his crude and unbelievable theory. "Anyway, just get out."

"Please, think about it." Arthur commanded as he stepped out of his room.

Alfred sighed, wiping his face in exasperation. ' _I guess I should watch some movies. Just me_.' He moped at his thought while he opened his laptop. ' _God, please give me the determination._ ' He inserted the flash drive Kiku had given to him. When the file explorer popped up, he scanned the file names. ' _Badabook? Babadook? That's a funny name._ ' He opened the movie file, and let himself relax, laying by the headboard of his bed while the laptop was on his lap. When the movie started, he was invested on it thanks to the first scenes. ' _That's one imaginative kid._ ' As the film went on, he felt his heartbeat getting erratic, getting more immersed at what he was watching.

"You can bring me the boy. You can bring me the boy. You can bring me the boy."

' _Okay, this is not a good idea. I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate-'_

"FUCKING SHIT CRAP MOTHERFUCK-" He ran to his brother's room rather disruptively as he left his room open, and his laptop as well.

When he got inside by slamming the door open, his twin was watching Noruta: The Last Air Shippuden, and slammed his laptop close as he was caught in surprise.

"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS? YOU LIED TO ME." Alfred screamed, he felt betrayed by his closeted weeb of a brother.

"Geez, you gave me a heart attack! I'm having a break from homework, okay?"

"Wha- You should've joined me watching a movie!"

"What I was watching is 30-minutes worth."

"Please, you were going to binge-watch that. I can feel it."

"I have self-control!"

"Yeah, speak for yourself and your maple syrup!"

"Uhm? Excuse me? It's the gift from the heavens? Why would you forsake such blessi-"

"Just admit it, bro. You betrayed me."

Matthew wiped his face and grunted. "Just sleep in my bed if you want to."

"I'll try while you 'do your homework'."

"I _am_ doing my homework. Will you keep quiet? Because it might help you fall asleep."

He did, and he couldn't sleep. ' _What if he's under my bed? What if he'd grabbed my feet and drag me into hell?_ '

"Al, I could hear you."

"You know I'm a loud thinker."

"You're loud in general."

"You're just too quiet."

"I'm being a decent member of society."

"Yeah, explain how."

"You know this is my room, right?"

Alfred bit his cheek, and huffed. He tried to sleep again, but he couldn't. The scenes from the movie kept him awake. He didn't know if he'd shut his eyes close, or stare at the ceiling. Hell, the sheep weren't helping. He waited for Matthew instead, so he borrowed his brother's phone, and browse through the internet. He was viewings memes, stalking Alice's facebook and instagram, cursing while he accidentally liked one of her photos, and somehow he ended up reading articles from Wikipedia about Russian culture. He then watched Russian videos from YouTube, of course with subtitles on.

"Are you watching Russian videos again?"

"Uhm, yes? What's the problem?"

Matthew simply hummed.

"They're kinda cool, I guess." He defended.

Matthew didn't bother to reply and continued what he was doing.

' _It's already 1:30 am. Matthew sure works his butt on his homework._ '

"I can hear you, bro."

"You should sleep now, Mattie."

"Just in a while." It wasn't.

When he was done with his homework, Alfred closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. He felt Matthew beside him, and tucked himself with another comforter. He noticed his brother was still wearing glasses so he removed it, and he removed his. He put down their glasses by the nightstand, yawned, and closed his eyes rather peacefully. Alfred, still pretending to sleep, slowly crept near Matthew. Matthew, still awake, hugged Alfred back, spooning him as the big spoon. Alfred felt comfortable, and his fears began to subside. He finally fell asleep.


	6. Ivan is having a nice weekend

Yesterday was a normal day for Ivan. He did what he usually do: waking up to prepare for school, be a decent member of society even if the said society was almost fucking him up, and he was really longing for his new life, or dream?

Then he woke up facing a familiar stranger who was still asleep despite his blurry vision. ' _Alfred? Zachem- Kak- Chto? Podozhdi-_ ' He squinted and realized it was not him thanks to the stray curl. ' _Ah, Matvey_.' He realized, and he touched his own face which was quite chubby, and smiled.

"Why are you smiling like that? It's creeping me out." Matthew squinted, didn't really know what to feel about his brother's way of smiling.

"It's just nice to see you Matvey, err, Matthew." He smiled wider with conviction.

"Ohhh kay? Totally not creepy, yep." He sat, took his pair of glasses, and wore it. He took Alfred's as well and gave it to him. Ivan wore it, feeling better.

A knock on a door got their attention and-

"Matthieu, have you seen Alfr- Oh, why aren't you in your room?" A man with long blonde hair older than them said as he opened the door. Ivan noticed his French accent.

"Ya-" Ivan didn't know what to answer, how to answer, and realized he didn't know the reason why he was sleeping in Matthew's room.

"Ya?" The blond imitated, inquired rather curiously.

"He was being a baby so he slept here." Matthew answered for him. _'Being a baby? Why am I being a baby?_ ' He reacted as he sat as well.

"Anyway, breakfast is ready, you sleepyheads." The man closed the door, returned to the dining area.

Matthew stood up, yawned, and went ahead; Ivan followed him to the dining area. When they got there, their father was currently reading a newspaper while holding a cup of tea. The blond man was done serving the table, and the twins sat down on their designated spots. Seeing their father drinking tea, Ivan stood up, and got his own cup of tea. His father looked at him, weirded out by his choice of drink as he always remembered that his son wasn't much of a fan of the drink, he even threw a box out the window one time just to spite him. When they were all seating at their chairs, they were eating quietly. Matthew felt eerie as he was used to his brother's noisy way of eating. His father seemed happy for some reason as he smiled even if it's a small one.

"Just so you know, Francis and I were planning a family get-together." Their father said as he gazed at the blond man, Francis, rather intimately. ' _Are they close comrades? They sure are close enough to plan a family get-together as he would say_.'

"Da, y-yeah, sure. Where is Mama then?"

"Alfred…" His brother whispered, cautioned him.

"You know she wouldn't be with us, you ungrateful brat." Their dad snapped at him, and Ivan was perplexed.

"Mon minou, Alfred didn't mean that, right, mon fils?" Francis tried to assure his friend but-

"And, you, you shouldn't defend him like that. That's why this git still hasn't learn how to respect."

"Ugh, speak for yourself, vous hypocrite."

"Do you really want to start this, frog?"

"I just. Want. To. Have. A. Decent. Breakfast."

"Then. Too. Bad. Because. You. Ruined. It."

"Mon dieu, you're blaming me? You're the one who's starting a fight."

"It's not my fault that you're being a coward, siding with this brat."

"I'm not siding with anyone! Can we just stop this nonsense?"

Matthew was losing his appetite, sighed at the sight of his fathers, and began retreating to his room. Ivan was left alone with the bickering friends, and he was entertained although he doesn't show it. He snapped out of his amusement, realizing it's not the time to be laughing at this moment especially he quite caused it. He followed his brother's retreat. Matthew was simply laying on his bed, browsing the internet using his laptop. ' _Vkontakte? No, it's the American one? Facebook?_ '

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I guess I want to keep you company?" His accent was thick, and Matthew noticed that.

"You like my room now, huh? Still scared from last night?"

"I, uhh, not really?" Because he really wasn't scared at anything so far. Well, except for his father, and his seemingly dead-end life.

"If you say so."

"What, exactly… did I do wrong?"

"You mean you're not aware they're fighting because of you?"

"You can say it like that. But I'm quite aware I'm the cause."

"Al, why of all days, like, Dad's really smiling a while ago and that's a rare scenario. I mean, why did you have to say the 'M' word?"

"What 'M' word?"

"Mama." He tried copying how his brother said it as he gestured with quotation marks.

"Why not?"

"Because, even though we all know you want to know where our biological parents are, it's kinda rude to Dad and Papa, you know. I know that you want to piss off Dad so much, but couldn't you just wait we finish eating breakfast? We might be late for school, and you know how long it would take to fix this."

Ivan didn't know what to say. He slowly processed his thoughts. ' _So Alfred has two dads. It's actually okay to engage in a same-sex relationship here in Amerika, enough to get married, I guess. I'm happy for Matvey, then. Is Alfred and Matve- Matthew adopted? Of course, they are, Ivan. And you're an ignorant fool._ '

"Hey, Al. Bro, are you okay?"

Ivan looked at him, dazed, distracted from his thoughts. "I'm fine. I think I need to apologize to our fathers, then, yes?"

' _Our fathers? That's kinda weird how he phrased it_.' Matthew thought, and said "Okay, good luck, and don't call him Arthur anymore, eh?"

Ivan nodded and went outside. He witnessed his fathers shouting colorful words; English and French insults filled their unit. They noticed Alfred, and stopped from their argument. He felt disappointed when they stopped but focused more on prioritizing his relationship to his family.

"This is your fault, you bloody blighter!" Arthur shouted.

"…I'm sorry, Dad." Ivan said weakly yet sincerely.

Arthur's face soften at what he had heard. Francis placed a hand on his shoulder but Arthur abruptly removed it, still focused on his son who just apologized to him after so many years. Without thinking twice, the Brit gave his son a hug, and he wasn't really the type to hug people, let alone touch. Ivan was surprised; he wasn't a fan of people touching him, but he let this pass. Francis smiled, tears of joy swelling. He decided to join their hug.

Matthew noticed it had gotten quiet so he stepped outside his room to see his family hugging each other. ' _What is happening here?_ '

When they let go of each other, Francis noticed Matthew standing by his room.

"Now that's settled, can we now discuss the road trip?" Francis started filling in the silence.

"Road trip?" Ivan gleamed. ' _This means we're going to explore Amerika?_ '

"We're having a road trip?!" Matthew beamed, rather out of character, but it wasn't as loud as Alfred.

"Yes, but it's just a trip to the beach. Nothing big, we're going swimming." Arthur informed.

"Long Beach Boardwalk, to be exact." Francis added.

The twins shared glances and excitement. ' _I think I was small since I went swimming_ _and it was in an inflatable pool; it wasn't really a good experience._ ' Ivan thought; it was always cold in where he lived.

"You lads go pack your things within this day. Please don't do it tomorrow. We'll be leaving at nine in the morning. Alfred, you should file a leave on your job. I'm really hoping we'd enjoy our road trip."

"Noted, dad." Ivan said in subtle hesitation; he wasn't used to call his father 'dad' and he didn't know when the last time he called the politician near that word was.

As the whole family got busy preparing for the day ahead, they all went to the car park. Matthew texted Gilbert that they wouldn't be riding the bus.

.

When they arrived at school, by the lockers, the twins saw Yao and greeted him rather quietly to Yao's standards if we're talking about Alfred.

"Hey, what's up? You two aren't usually early." Yao said, figuring that he's the first to talk in their little group.

"We got a ride here with our parents." Matthew answered while Alfred smiled a little. ' _Aiyah, he's quiet. That's a relief then?'_

Ivan simply listened to them talking about something he couldn't relate to, smiling politely when they glanced at him.

"Ohayo." Kiku waved his hand a little as they approached them while they stared at Ivan.

"Aren't you supposed to say something stupid like Minnesota?" Yao suggested, still weirded out even though he like the blond's current behaviour.

"I-I suppose? Minnesota, Kiku?" Ivan didn't know what that word meant other than a place in USA; his voice had the same volume as his twin while his friends wondered why he wasn't talking as loud as himself.

"YO LOSERS!" Ivan mentally thanked Gilbert's interruption even though he want to smack his head for putting his arm on his shoulder so suddenly. Matthew rolled his eyes while Yao snickered a little.

"So what did I miss?" The albino practically shouted beside Ivan's ear earning an annoyed muttering from him.

"Ya lichno khochu udarit' tebya v golovu. Slishkom rano dlya etogo." He whispered, mumbled rather lowly.

"What did you say, Al?" Gilbert spoke loudly, unaware of the volume of his voice, still weighing his arm on his shoulder, his mouth near his ear.

"Just don't touch me please." Ivan said, his accent slipping.

"Pfft, why? Can't handle the _awesome_ me?" The albino said in an irritating crescendo.

"Please. Let. Go. Of. Me." Ivan glared then Gilbert finally complied.

"Fine. Geez, you're scaring me."

"Otlichno."

"Gesundheit." Gilbert said sarcastically, not really in a mood to tease his friend's Russophile tendencies.

"Okay, guys. Cut it out. Gil, you're kinda annoying so…" Yao interrupted their little quarrel while the others were staring at them, disturbed they seemed, but mostly they were worried. Fortunately, Alice distracted them as she approached the group.

"Ciao everyone!" She skipped gleefully, unaware of the atmosphere.

Good thing they had manners so they greeted her as well.

"So," she started, "I believe Alfred already informed you guys that I'm tagging along tonight, right?"

"Not yet, but that good news!" Gilbert gleamed while he distanced himself from Alfred.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ivan asked, felt out of place.

"Uhh, bro, you didn't forget about our deal, eh?" Matthew said weakly.

"I can't believe you forgot, Alfred! You just invited me last night!" She giggled.

"I must be really exhausted yesterday. I'm sorry, Alice."

"No, you're not. You stayed up late in my room watching Russian videos." Matthew teased.

"I did?" Ivan was amused. ' _Hmm, this Alfred person is an interesting fellow for someone I often dream about. Is this really a dream? Or my afterlife? Why do I keep on going back to my old life then?_ '

"Uh yeah, you did. You were even monologuing out loud."

Gilbert snorted earning a glare from Ivan. The albino was taken aback and simply looked at Matthew who was mouthing an apology in regard to his brother's behavior.

"So." Yao clapped his hands. "I was wondering if you guys are interested in buying medicine." He held out the product from his locker. "It's organic and it would help you maintain good health." He advertised the bottle of herbal (?) medicine as he hoped his friends would lighten up a bit from their little drama; basically he was hitting two birds with one stone.

"I hope you're not in another pyramid scheme, Yao." Kiku dismissed.

"I'm appalled you had less faith on me. This, of course, was made by my grandmother!"

"For all we know, this 'grandmother' is your neighbor or something." Gilbert joined in their conversation.

"Aiyah, as if I lie. Could you guys just trust me and try out the stuff I sell? Neither of you wouldn't buy any."

"Yao, you know we trust you. But, not the stuff you're selling." Kiku deadpanned.

"Maybe I'll try?" Ivan volunteered earning a glint of hope from Yao.

"Alfred, you bring honor to us all."

"So how much is it?"

"It's just $49.99!"

"Okay then." Ivan didn't really mind since he was just dreaming, right? And he's quite richer in this life.

"WHAT THE- ALFRED NO!" Matthew shouted loud enough above his usual speaking voice and his friends were surprise at this as much as they were surprised at what Alfred was about to do; Ivan ignored him.

Ivan looked for his wallet and found out that his money wasn't enough.

"No sweat. Just write an IOU I guess." Yao suggested, and Ivan gladly complied.

"I can't believe this is happening." Kiku squinted while Matthew did the same as he pinched his nose, fixing his glasses. "Yeah."

"Okay, Yao, as much as I want you to steal Al's allowance, we should get going." Gilbert nudged an elbow as he looked at his phone's clock.

"Shi, shi. Don't you forget, Alfred." Yao walked away as Gilbert followed him.

"Bro, are you sure you're going to drink that?"

"Why? It seems promising." Ivan said nonchalantly.

"I don't know." Matthew faltered.

"Do you want to try it too?"

"No thanks."

"Okay, kak hochesh'." ' _How does that saying goes again? It's something like clothing one's self?_ ' Fortunately, none of his friends seemed to mind his Russian.

They walked silently to their room and to their seats. Kiku simply grabbed his manga, while Matthew took his phone from his pocket. ' _Tumblr?_ ' Ivan glanced for a second and minded his own business. Alice was talking to her friends, laughing about something her friend joked. He simply gazed at anywhere his eyes landed, observing his classmates while sitting straight. He watched as some of his classmates were fooling around, and simply smiled at the sight of them. ' _This country is indeed lively, it seems._ '

Their teacher had arrived, and he was sure lively for a morning class.

"So! I'm here, aaaand, time for an attendance check!" The jovial middle-aged man with a curly brown hair announced, and they proceeded; the chattering was still lingering and the man wasn't faltered by it.

"Now that's over, let's continue with yesterday's lesson. By that, I mean, choose your partner because we'll be having a project, and be sure that you present what I had discussed. Don't forget the basics! Alice, choose wisely!" The teacher announced as he wrote down the rubric of the said project. Alice laughed nervously, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

The class was beginning to create more noise as each of them talked about who to be partners with, and what kind of presentation they would do. Ivan simply looked at Matthew but was grabbed by a muscular teenager with dreadlocks. He then noticed Kiku, who was busy writing on a notebook.

"Yes, Alfred, I will be working with you." He said nonchalantly. Ivan wasn't used to it, and he wondered why the Asian always treated him like this; it bothered him but set it aside.

The class was filled with squeaking noises from the chairs as they sat beside their chosen partners. Ivan scooted closer to Kiku, but not as close as Kiku usually expected. He didn't really mind; to be honest, it was a relief. The two began discussing what to do, and Ivan didn't really know yesterday's lesson so he asked Kiku for his notes; he complied. Ivan skimmed through the notes, and the class was actually literature.

"So, how do we present this? Are there any specified instructions?" The blond asked.

"You know Mr. Vargas, he gives you the freedom just as you like it."

"I, do not understand."

"Let's simply review our notes, then decide which story to choose and to discuss."

"Okay."

Ivan read again the notes, and none of the literary works were familiar.

"Aren't there atleast, uh, Russian?"

"Would you like that?" Kiku deadpanned, although he was primarily dazed, but he didn't show it.

"Yes, please." Ivan said, rather determined. Kiku sighed mentally, and gave in to his friend's Russophile phase.

"I think Mr. Vargas wouldn't mind. He'd be ecstatic, at least. He's a man who'd want you to be 'creative' as he'd say." He said as he gestured the quotation marks.

Ivan started discussing about Alexander Griboyedov and how he was entertained by his works, which left Kiku confused. When he said he didn't know him, Ivan began to talk faster while his accent was showing, rambling about the satirical works of the said Russian. He was passionate about the work Gore ot Uma, or something like that. When the bell finally rang, Kiku felt relieved. He didn't knew, well, he knew, that Alfred could be talkative, although, with his voice in a respectable volume, and without flailing or motioning too much. When their classmates started to exit the room, he said that they should go now since the room they're headed was almost the other side of the building. Matthew and Alice came along with them and asked them about what they'd do for the project. Kiku filled them in and stated that they hadn't decided yet.

They went into the music room. The teacher he saw before, the one with glasses and an unconventional attire, arrived with his face seemed annoyed. He began calling out names while ranting about how important attendance was, especially when it comes to music ensembles, and fortunately, no one was absent. He discussed a little bit of rudiments, reminded them rather, since it was already discussed for the nth time. He then handed out music sheets which looked like choral pieces, then he instructed the class to arrange themselves according to their voice assignments. The class began to sing even without the teacher's instruction which made him irritated. He projected his voice, commanded the class to stop, and asked them to sing section by section first. The class went smoothly, not by the teacher's standards though. Ivan particularly enjoyed this class since he's fond of music, although he prefer Russian. As the class ended, they proceeded to their next class while they talked about how good Alfred sang unlike before; they couldn't believe that he could actually sing in tune, and yet he managed to sing the given song almost flawlessly. Alice adored him as she announced, while Kiku and Matthew exchanged glances. Ivan shyly smiled as he heard the compliment.

They sat at their usual spot as they greeted their classmates. Ivan didn't bother to, and continued on with his business. When Ms. Hedervary finally arrived, some of the students shut their mouths while others still kept on talking but with their voices lowered.

"Sorry, I'm late. Anyway, spare me the time, and kindly tell me who's absent." The room was buzzing with whispers, and no one bothered to answer their teacher.

"Hmm, so far none, huh? Good. Let's get on with this. Now, I hope you read your books because today's a surprise recitation to compensate with our last meeting." She announced while some students moaned. "I feel the love. Hmm, let's start with you, Bonnefoy-Kirkland."

Ivan briskly stood up straight as the chair squeaked, and earned snickers from his classmates.

"I appreciate your attentiveness, Alfred." She said with a hint of humor in her voice. She cleared her throat and said, "Please recite the American Revolution in summary."

Ivan had no idea what to answer, tugged his collar in absence of his scarf.

"Very well, you may sit down." The teacher instructed as she showed a visible expression of disappointment. His seatmates looked at him, puzzled about something, and Ivan didn't really mind. He honestly had no idea; this was just a lucid dream, he said, doubted, he didn't really know.

After history class, the day was moderately uneventful, and Ivan thanked the universe that he survived. His friends were particularly talking to each other, and he just listened to them, not joining them as much during lunch, and some breaks in classes.

The group met in the parking lot by the bench under a tree's shade. As they arrived, the upperclassmen were browsing through their phones in comfortable silence. Gilbert muttered a "'Sup?" while still looking at his phone, typing something, a short text post in Tumblr. Yao was eating something he probably cooked himself, while laughing at memes, and Westerners gone wrong through dashboard camera videos. They told each other's stories, and Ivan simply listened to them.

"Hey bro, what's wrong?" Matthew asked.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that, you're really quiet today? Just like…" ' _The day before.'_ He thought, and dismissed it. "Nevermind."

"Am I? I am usually like this."

"Not really. Even if you have problems, you don't shut up." Gilbert joined their conversation, interrupted in Ivan's terms.

"I just…" Ivan said, whispered rather in their perspective. They were anticipating for whatever he was about to say but Alice broke the silence as she greeted them.

"Are you guys ready? We should go now before it's too late!" She chimed as the group shifted the mood into a lighter one.

"Yeah, I'm so excited to see Alfred piss his-" Gilbert said but was interrupted by Matthew as he elbowed the albino. He really wanted his brother to be happy, especially at this time with his unsettling behavior.

"Anyway, Alfred, you did file a leave for today?" Matthew asked earning a panicked expression from his brother.

"You're in luck, Bello Alfredo, I've told our boss that we have a school project coming up and we needed time for it and all." Alice answered gleefully as she witnessed Alfred's paled face.

"Ah, thank you." He sighed in relief.

"Now that's settled. Let's go!" Gilbert shouted in enthusiasm with raised arms as Alice joined him in his excitement, raising her arms as well.

Despite their loud behavior, Ivan hummed along as he thought that the Italian girl's vivacious energy was infectious. He gleamed as he looked forward to their little outing. He admitted he was excited as well; he knew the city life was warm and buzzing compared to his town of a pile of snow. As they walked to the train station's staircase, he felt his heart thrumming along with the wheels of the train coming by.

"Where's your card, Al?" Matthew inquired as he noticed his brother gaping at nothing, not preparing for their entrance.

"What card?" Ivan said dumbly.

"Uhh, your metro card?"

"I- uh, do I need it?"

"Uhm, yes?" Matthew hesitated to answer.

"I…" He looked through his bag, and there was no sign of the said item. Matthew helped him and found what he was referring to. "Here it is." He showed a card and handed it to his brother.

"Thank you. I am sorry for inconvenience."

"It's okay. Now, let's go catch up with the others." Matthew walked as he swiped the card, and Ivan copied and followed him.

"What took you guys so long?" Gilbert asked.

"Al thought he lost his card."

"Oh, okay then."

They rode the train along with the crowd. Ivan, sadly, didn't like the experience. Kiku appeared to be bothered as well but lived with it and simply listened to his music with his headphones. Alice, on the other hand, was talking about classical music, paintings, and other art stuff in Europe with Yao. The pony-tailed Asian compared the Italian's musings with his country's art, as he claimed it to be more exotic. Alice tried to reason that Italian arts were more refined, while Yao argued that arts came from China. Ivan noticed Alice's hand gestures as she rambled, and he giggled a bit.

"What's funny, Alfred?" The Italian girl asked with squinted eyes, her hands still hanging.

"Nothing, it's, just your hands." He blurted out, his accent slipping more, while Alice put her hands down, a faint blush and a pout appeared on her face.

"Mein Gott, Alice, you're really Italian!" Gilbert joked as the others laughed as well.

"Al! You shouldn't have pointed it out. Now, I'm conscious about it." Alice still pouted.

"It is funny how your hands move along with your words." He said as he demonstrated with his hands. "And, to conclude your argument, I believe Russian arts are, most exquisite of all arts." He smirked while others looked at him in disbelief.

"Huh? Says who?" Yao furrowed his brows.

"I. Ahh, says me." Ivan stuck out his tongue, still smiling.

"Whatever, Prussian arts is still the best." Gilbert tried to end their topic with an awesome statement.

"What is Prussia?" Ivan asked rather sincerely.

"MEIN GOTT, HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?" The albino was seemingly offended, his face gaining color thanks to his blood rush. The other passengers looked at him briefly as he yelled. Ivan was unaffected as he was still curious to what Prussia is.

"You mean Germany, right?" Matthew deadpanned.

"I can't believe you losers didn't pay attention to history class. And even ignore the most awesome country that existed?"

All of them decided to ignore Gilbert's remark as they hopped off the train. They walked amongst the crowd as Ivan barely followed. Kiku, fortunately, grabbed his American friend's hand so he wouldn't get lost. As they arrived in the movie theater, they purchased tickets and fall in line to order snacks. Ivan pondered if he had been in a movie theater but remembered that there was a few in Murmansk but they were far from Kolsky. His friends decided to buy some popcorn and drinks and went inside the theater.

They settled at the middle row as Ivan sat at the third to the last seat while Alice followed him. Kiku sat beside Alice and Yao was at his left side. Gilbert sat beside Yao and Matthew sat beside Gilbert.

As the movie started, they already started munching their own popcorn. Alice, like a normal person, grabbed what she could while Ivan was the same; he was a little surprised and peeved when Alice brushed her hands a few times but he let it slide. Kiku, like a decent person, took one popcorn at a time, while Yao was being a weirdo and used chopsticks. Matthew reached for a handful of popcorn but instead he grabbed himself a handful of Gilbert. Of course, Gilbert fucking laughed at him.

Meanwhile, in a setting of a cape cod in New Mexico, the young female protagonist was simply looking for something to drink, and she noticed the lurking crooked figures. They were simply staring at her as if they already lived in her house, and they were annoyed by her presence, acting like they were the ones who owned her home. Slowly, they approached her while she was already drinking a cup of cocoa. She felt a cold sensation as she almost spilled her drink. Putting the cup on its holder, she grabbed a children's book instead. She seemed to need a distraction; she knew she was skeptical about the strange atmosphere so she read the book. As she flipped its pages, the words, along with its pictures, seemed to change into something. As she stopped on a page, the colorful smile of a cartoon character became eerie enough, amplified thanks to the word accompanied: Leave. She was hesitant, her fingers mildly trembling and turn another page. The page became an insubstantial mirror, showing a reflection of her and someone- something behind her. It was smiling. She looked behind and-

Alice screeched and pulled Alfred into a hug with eyes shut. Ivan was not amused.

"Please don't touch me." The blond smiled as eerie as the demon, and Alice opened her eyes slowly to witness his face; her tears were forming little by little and she let go easily.

She had more goose bumps remembering Alfred's face along with his words. She thought twice about grabbing Kiku's arm but she knew the Asian wasn't fond of physical contact; she decided to do it anyway.

"Ah, Alice, are you okay?" He stuttered.

"Hehe, uhm, yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry." She tried to smile but she knew Kiku wouldn't buy it.

"Why don't you, uh, hug Alfred instead?" Kiku suggested awkwardly as Alice still clung on his arm.

"I think he hates me." She sniffed as she could no longer hold her tears.

"Eh?" Kiku glanced at Alfred as the blond was currently into the movie while chewing popcorn; he was… giggling? Kiku then checked his seatmates, and they were flabbergasted as well. They were actually observing Alfred all along, not caring for the movie. Yao was snickering, cheerful as if he won a bet, while Gilbert was mourning over something. Matthew was confused either by the two or maybe by his brother's behavior. As the movie went on, they were still looking at Alfred who didn't seem to mind his friends staring as he simply eat his popcorn. Alice continued to cling on Kiku's arm while Kiku gave up on the thought that Alice would let go, and watched the movie instead.

When the movie ended, they went outside the theater as the sun was setting. Alice was noticeably distancing herself from Alfred. She was in between Gilbert, and Kiku. Gilbert was pleased as Alice grabbed his arm; Alice knew Kiku was uncomfortable so she respected that. Matthew was walking along his brother congratulating him earning a confused look from Ivan. Yao then prompted Gilbert about money because he lost to their bet while the albino grumbled something in German.

Gilbert suggested to go to a karaoke, but the twins announced that the need to pack for their little road trip. They instead prompted them to go without them, and they nodded as they went to their own way to the karaoke bar somewhere in Thompson Street. They bid each other goodbyes and see-you-on-Mondays as they rode a bus.

As the twins got home, they were greeted by their fathers. They were scolded for coming home late to pack up but their parents let them eat dinner first. While they were eating, they reminded them what to bring for the trip. Much to Arthur's pleasure, he noticed his son being respectful not only towards his food but also to him. The Englishman ruffled Ivan's hair (which Ivan didn't appreciate much but let it slide) with a small smile, and went to his bedroom leaving the three. Francis listened to Matthew's stories about Alfred being brave this afternoon which confused Ivan. After they ate and cleaned up the kitchen, they headed to their own rooms to pack their own stuff for the weekend.

When Ivan finished packing and cleaned up himself, he laid on his bed as he stared at nothing. ' _This dream, or this lifetime, I hope it would last for a while. I really want to swim. Wait, come to think of it, I haven't learned how to swim yet.'_ He closed his eyes _. 'The Kola bay isn't really exactly for swimming thanks to its craggy and precipitous shore. Besides, I don't really feel like going back to that town, and I am really looking forward to explore this vibrant city._ '

He found it harder to sleep with the urban heat. He threw his blanket and knew it wasn't enough. He put his glasses by the side table and tried to sleep. He tried to count backwards, and it didn't work. ' _I need a drink_.' He went to the kitchen, and searched for vodka. Unfortunately, there was none; there was a bottle of wine but it wasn't opened. ' _I don't have time to look for a corkscrew_.' He went back to his bedroom, and plumped faceward on his bed groaning about why they don't have vodka, or even beer. Then again, he was thankful for the heat could get worse if he drank. He absentmindedly took off his shirt, and laid again. He finally drifted to sleep.

.

The rays of the naked sun pierced through the windows while the beeping of various vehicles woke up the American blond. He opened his eyes, and noticed his eyesight was bad. Ivan was sure he's in the same stuffy room; he again woke up in this dream. He squinted and looked for a pair of glasses. He wore them, and confirmed that he was indeed in the same bedroom. He was in boxers as he sat up on his bed and saw a naked Alfred in the mirror. His eyes grew wide and he looked down to see a boner.

' _W-What should I do?_ '

His face was heating up, and so his body. ' _This was worse than last night_. _I can't believe I'm dreaming this, or whatever this is_.' He accidentally looked at the mirror again and stared at his shirtless body. He felt his boner twitch and looked at it again. He slowly placed his hand on it. When he felt his own touch, he felt his face heating up more, removed his hand quickly, and his heartbeat was getting faster. He was embarrassed knowing the fact that this wasn't his own body; he suddenly covered himself in his blanket he picked from the floor. After he closed his eyes, he rolled on his bed. Subconsciously, he ground the mattress, and grabbed a pillow to hug, or fuck. He let his hormones get the best of him and decided not to let go and rubbed his dick slow and hard. He thought it wasn't enough so he began changing his pace. He moaned and bit his lip. He felt hot so he threw off his blanket and continued his business. He finally stroked his dick roughly, and glanced at the mirror.

"A-Alfred." He muttered as he came.

' _Why on earth…_ ' He felt so embarrassed, his face fully blushed as his glasses were shambled. He slapped his cheek, and forgot he had cum on his hand. He mentally screamed when he realized what was now on his face. He picked up the blanket and wiped his face. He threw the dirty blanket in his laundry basket along with his stained boxers. He put on a clean underwear, then looked for something to wear for the day. He grabbed a white shirt with a space pun he didn't really bother to laugh at, and a pair of navy blue shorts. While he was about to put on clothes, he noticed a red scarf hid neatly; it was strangely familiar at the same time new to him. ' _Is this…? No, it's impossible_.' He dismissed his thought, and focused on preparing for the trip.

He went inside the bathroom, and put his glasses on the side of the basin, and washed his hands with soap. He then washed his face and looked up in the mirror and saw himself blush so he washed his face again to clear his mind. He looked for a towel while he ignored the bathroom mirror. He wiped his face as he paced to his bed to sit down. He opened his eyes to see his reflection in the tall mirror. He stared at it, and slapped himself.

"Bro, are you awake- what happened to you?" Matthew opened the door without knocking.

"Nothing." Surprised, he stopped his scrunched expressions, and endured the pain. ' _I didn't know this guy is strong._ '

"We should get going. It's almost nine."

When they were all ready, they noticed Alfred was sitting on the couch.

"Al, we're going."

"Just a minute."

All of them were quizzed by his behavior, and Ivan didn't mind. It was a common habit in Russia, at least in his hometown, to wait a bit by the door before leaving for a long trip, for the sake of safety. When he had enough moment, he stood up, and grabbed his bag. Arthur went ahead first, then Francis, followed by Matthew then Ivan. They went to the carpark and filled up their car's compartment. They went to their designated seats with Arthur as their driver which was decided after a little bit of their bickering. (Francis won because they already discussed this last night and Arthur was just being a little shit.)

When they got on the road, Francis turned on the radio, putting it on a station that featured Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance', but Arthur switched it to Queen's 'I Want to Break Free'. Francis returned it to Lady Gaga again. Arthur didn't give up so he changed the station again. Ivan was amused by his fathers while Matthew closed his eyes to find his inner peace. The radio broke, and the two blamed each other while Ivan broke into fits of laughter. As Arthur stopped the car, the two of them stared as his son, bewildered; good thing the stoplight was red.

"I'm sorry. It's just- you two are really entertaining." Ivan wiped his tears from laughing.

Matthew snorted, and agreed with his brother. The couple just stared at each other and snorted as well. The green light signaled so the car started moving again. The silence was unusual for Matthew (he couldn't believe it himself) so he pulled out his phone, and his brother's portable speakers that he forgot to return. He played some Noruta OST (the scores, not the themesongs), and none of them complained which made Matthew happy.

Along the road, Ivan was silent, happy for his sight-seeing from his window. He appreciated the various scenarios happening, from people walking minding their own business, some who were rushing, some were laughing at their own inside jokes, some were crying because of an internal conflict, to a blur of noise that clashed together in a weird harmony which Ivan appreciated. The noise was colorful to him, and it was sure warm and animated. He was humming, a Russian tune, subconsciously, and Matthew was still impressed by how he's not singing off-tune.

When they got to the highway, they started their own noise, and Ivan joined them. Matthew was happy that his brother was slowly gaining his usual energy. Francis started beat boxing along with Matthew as the upbeats and fillers. Arthur was rapping along, slightly bobbing his head while his eyes on the road, and Ivan added descants, which surprised the family at first but they prioritized their jam.

It was fairly a short trip that Arthur didn't switch with Francis on driving. Ivan witnessed the gleaming waves of the waters accompanied by the sunlight, along the white sands, and people scattered. It was a lovely sight, and he felt giddy. They parked by a nearby lodge which they were supposed to be staying; the couple went to the lobby and confirmed their reservations while the twins waited for them as they look at the beach. Ivan couldn't stop smiling, and for the first time, Matthew wasn't weirded out. His smile was wide as it usually was, and the energy he emitted was hyper as before. When they got to their assigned rooms, the twins dropped their stuff as soon as the door was closed, and dove into their own beds. Their fathers were in another room, put their stuff properly like decent members of the society, and made out along with their cusses, not that the twins knew.

After a few minutes, their parents knocked their door to announce that they're going for lunch. They were already wearing a breezy attire, each carried a beach bag, their feet fashioned with flip-flops; Francis wore shades and his hair was tied, while Arthur wore a hat. The twins quickly prepared as they briskly stood up from their beds. The two men waited; Arthur was tapping his feet while his brows furrowed. They hurried and walked along with them.

They went outside and spotted various stalls of food nearby. Ivan was amazed as his eyeglasses adjusted for him as it turned into sunglasses. Matthew witnessed his brother's excitement, and mistook it as the enthusiasm for food. Arthur handed them pocket money to buy what they'd want to eat, and to his surprise, Alfred accepted. He didn't comment on it and went with Francis. When they met up, they sat on a wooden bench nearby the beach, not yet the shore, just the wooden planks designed on the side of the concrete road while cyclists roamed. The twins ate quietly while the men were discussing about some adult stuff, taxes maybe; they didn't really care.

When they were done eating, they walked to the sandy shore. None of them ran, and Arthur was boggled on how behaved his son was. They placed their stuff near the shore enough that it won't be caught by the waves. The twins removed their glasses and placed it inside their bags. When Ivan removed his slippers, the sand soothed his feet, tickling him with mixture of warmth, and odd chill. He walked towards the waves and he was welcomed by their calming coolness. The three already began splashing around, and Ivan joined them. He splashed them too hard, and Arthur was hit in the eye so he began cursing.

"Bloody hell, that hurt!" He spewed with eyes closed. Francis helped him, although he was laughing so Arthur thought he wasn't.

"Sorry." Ivan said sheepishly. He didn't really know his strength.

Matthew went near him, and whispered something, while the two were busy as Arthur could slowly open his eyes, Francis' face was near, and Arthur flailed as he fell into the water against his back, thankfully his eyes closed. He spat the salty water, and continued cursing. Francis snorted earning a push from Arthur, causing him to lose balance. When the two called it quits, they noticed the twins prepared for a chicken fight with Matthew on top of Alfred. Francis and Arthur exchanged glances, and smirked; they accepted their sons' challenge.

"Francis, carry me." Arthur said firmly.

"Oh hon hon hon, no. I should be on top as always." Francis stated with a hint of innuendo.

"What do you mean, as always? I'm stronger than you. I'd defeat Matthew easily." Arthur argued.

"Nonsense! You're petite. You might drown, mon amour."

"We're of the same height, you wanker. Now stop your whining and carry me."

"With that attitude, you'll really drown by God's will and besides I'm fairly lighte- MERDE!" Francis's speech was interrupted as Arthur climbed on him (by jumping, what the fuck Arthur) and settled on his shoulders.

"Now that's settled. Prepare to lose, dad!" Matthew spoke, or shouted according to the volume of his voice, while Alfred was still carrying him with the same energy of enthusiasm.

"Alright then, little bugger." Arthur said with determination.

The two on top began trying to push each other off while the two on bottom maintained their balance. Ivan was almost immovable as Francis contemplated about his age, why he was easily losing his balance. Thanks to Arthur's promise, the Brit did his best to push Matthew causing him to flail and almost fell but luckily he grabbed Alfred's face. Ivan was insulted, although he wasn't faltered in terms of balancing his brother. When they were distracted for a second, Arthur pushed Matthew again and successfully defeated his sons as the two fell in the water.

"Hey! No fair! We didn't see that coming." Matthew protested while helping his brother stand up.

"We're quite old, mon sirop d'érable. I think it's quite fair with your nearsighted visions." His papa stated followed by his trademark laugh earning a pout from his two sons, especially Matthew thanks to the nickname.

"Francis, don't say that. We're not old, and it's not their fault they needed glasses." Arthur said in a fatherly tone which Francis appreciated.

"I'm just teasing. Anyway, I should go to our things while you three keep swimming." He waved his hand and went to their valuables. He took a towel to dry himself a bit, and laid a mat to sit on.

The three waded mindlessly with Matthew floating on a further part of the sea while Ivan was still standing on a fairly shallow part with Arthur. He didn't really know how to swim.

"Are you enjoying so far, son?" Arthur said, stuttered a bit, hoping for a sensible conversation with his son.

"Yes. It is really nice here." Ivan answered sincerely, his smile so bright, no hint of irritation which the Brit appreciated.

"Then, I'm glad you're happy." Arthur's face softened, while Ivan softly smiled. ' _I never thought I'd have a father like Arthur_.'

The sun slowly set, and it was time for them to call it a day.

'… _I don't want this to end_.'

* * *

Translations:

Zachem- Kak- Chto? Podozhdi _-_ why- how- what? wait

mon minou - my kitty

mon fils - my son

Ya lichno khochu udarit' tebya v golovu. Slishkom rano dlya etogo - I personally want to hit you in the head. Too early for this.

Otlichno - excellent

Gesundheit - bless you

kak hochesh' - suit yourself

mon sirop d'érable - my maple syrup


	7. Announcement

I was contemplating on deleting this fic but I'm considering to reboot it for reasons:

\- They're too OOC for me

\- I have learned a lot of new stuff regarding Russian culture, and this fic was severely ignorant of it

\- I want to aim for a bit originality, since it's reeking so much of Kimi No Na Wa AU that it feels like I blatantly copied the movie

This might take a while, but I hope you guys understand.

Thank you for staying with me!

(In the meantime, I will write for 'If home is where the heart is, then we're fucked' and 'Soviet Smiles'. I'm more in a canonverse mood.)


End file.
